Starting Whole 30

lrobson555
lrobson555 Posts: 97 Member
edited November 13 in Health and Weight Loss
I have a real problem with food. I am an emotional eater and I just can't control and limit what I'm eating. I calorie count for a few days, then pack it all in when I get offered a chocolate bar or if friend's want to go out for lunch. Guilt and shame follows, and I indulge more - "I've already failed today so I might as well keep eating".

My main problem is sugar. Chocolates, cakes, biscuits. I can finish eating my lunch and immediately start thinking about what sweet snack I'm going to have next. It's not healthy.

So five days ago I decided to quit eating added sugar. I've found this easier than I expected - apparently cutting things out is much easier for me that limiting. I had a couple of headaches and some foggy moments and some pretty intense cravings but I survived, and in five days I lost three pounds.

Yesterday, I saw and bought the 'Whole 30' book by Melissa Hartwig and Dallas Hartwig and this morning I read it cover to cover. I feel so inspired to give this a go! I've done the no sugar, and now just need to add in the no dairy, no grains, and no legumes! Pretty sure that's going to be hard because I pretty much live for pasta and milky tea.

I thought I might start tomorrow or Monday (not sure yet) as that's mean its all over in time for Christmas (although I guess that means I'll have to sacrifice the advent calendar this year!).

So I'm writing this because I wondered if anyone wanted to join me? I know I'll find it easier if I have people to be accountable to, and I'd like to be able to encourage others as we go through the 30 days together.

Anyone?

Replies

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    I wonder why you feel the need to cut out dairy, legumes and grains?
  • lrobson555
    lrobson555 Posts: 97 Member
    @kommodevaran Well, the book seems to suggest that you would get better results if you remove those things too. However, I'm not so convinced. I don't understand how having some greek yoghurt or brown rice would make any difference?
    Thoughts appreciated!
  • fr33sia12
    fr33sia12 Posts: 1,258 Member
    I decided to eliminate added sugar as much as I could from my diet at my doctor's advice, along with salt. I've found it very easy now (after 7 month) I do still allow some indulgences once in a while now I'm at a healthier weight, but would never go back to eating the amounts of added sugar I used to. I'm always checking food labels, you'd be surprised how much sugar is added to seemingly already healthy foods.
    I also cut out alcohol and meat, again which I am now not missing at all. I didn't do this to lose weight though, but more for my overall health. Eliminating foods can work for some people, but it's not for everyone.
  • lrobson555
    lrobson555 Posts: 97 Member
    @TeaBea That's helpful :smile: Yes my problem is often not being able to stop after I've started. It seems to be easier for me to keep my distance completely.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    lrobson555 wrote: »
    @TeaBea That's helpful :smile: Yes my problem is often not being able to stop after I've started. It seems to be easier for me to keep my distance completely.

    That's fine, but keep in mind you want to keep the weight off forever. I've done many types of diets over the years....yet here I am again. Figure out what you need to do to lose weight AND what you need to do to keep it off. Eliminating all sweets for the short term isn't a strategy that works, as proven by the percentage of re-gainers....it's a huge number.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    lrobson555 wrote: »
    I have a real problem with food. I am an emotional eater and I just can't control and limit what I'm eating. I calorie count for a few days, then pack it all in when I get offered a chocolate bar or if friend's want to go out for lunch. Guilt and shame follows, and I indulge more - "I've already failed today so I might as well keep eating".

    My main problem is sugar. Chocolates, cakes, biscuits. I can finish eating my lunch and immediately start thinking about what sweet snack I'm going to have next. It's not healthy.

    So five days ago I decided to quit eating added sugar. I've found this easier than I expected - apparently cutting things out is much easier for me that limiting. I had a couple of headaches and some foggy moments and some pretty intense cravings but I survived, and in five days I lost three pounds.
    You have proven that you can control your intake - you just said you haven't had sweets for five days ;) Seriously, you are the one that decides what to eat or not.

    I don't think you are describing emotional eating. The "problem" with food may be that it just tastes so good and is everywhere, all the time. Of course you will think about something that tastes good, it has nothing to with being full or not. Nothing wrong with you there. Something you could work on, is guilt and shame for eating - that is useless. And the all-or-nothing mentality - every little brick contributes to the house, but no single brick is the whole house.

    lrobson555 wrote: »
    Yes my problem is often not being able to stop after I've started. It seems to be easier for me to keep my distance completely.
    To have some kinds of boundaries isn't a bad idea. The problem is to figure out where to set those boundaries. An all-or-nothing mentality will tend to go for electric fences. Maybe that isn't necessary. Maybe a simple moat can do the trick :p It may seem easier, yes, short term. But what matters, is what's easier long term. Will you miss the sweets if you never eat them again? Or is it something you couldn't care less about? Is "never" a good goal? What about just "not now"? Find out if there are certain situations where it's easier to eat "problem" foods in moderation. Could you have geographic/social/time "zones" where sweets are okay? Or are you thinking about sweets and delicious restaurant lunches just because the food you "allow" yourself is kinda boring?
  • walksalot63
    walksalot63 Posts: 17 Member
    I did the whole 30 last year. It was actually fun to create with the allowed foods. After the first 30 days, we added the non gluten grains to our diet for 2 days. Then returned back to whole 30 foods for 2 days, then added gluten grain, etc. It was very interesting how the food groups affected our bodies. After 30 days, I lost 10 lbs. I ate meat, veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds. It definitely helps to stay on track with a buddy.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    Someone else pretty much already said this, but from reading your OP it didn't sound like you have a problem with emotional eating or with sweets. Your problem was in feeling guilt and shame when you ate something you felt you shouldn't and subsequently giving up.

    There is nothing wrong with having something sweet after a meal. There is nothing wrong with going out to lunch. You can do all that and still be healthy, and still lose weight. Even if you have a day where you sped right past your calorie goal, you can still lose weight, just do better tomorrow. Weight loss and health come from what you do over the long term. One of the healthiest things you can do is stop placing moral judgement surrounding food. Food is fuel - yummy, pleasurable fuel :).

    Personally, I believe your best chance for success is finding a way to eat for the rest of your life, one where you feel satisfied st the correct calorie level and are eating food you enjoy. If you need to avoid some foods, or you want to try Whole 30 to see how it feels, then go for it! But try not to get too caught up in all these different diets and programs, if you can't eat that way for the long term. Good luck!
  • kimberlylpn
    kimberlylpn Posts: 7 Member
    I've been doing whole 30 for 2 weeks and love it...the concept is the alleviate all known foods that have the possibility of causing allergies or leaky gut and after the 30 days to slowly incorporate them back in to determine what foods cause you problems. I love it because it is no processed foods and encourages you to be conscious of what your putting in your body...I feel good and really got on track again today after the holiday...ready to do this!!!
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    kimberlylpn wrote: »
    I've been doing whole 30 for 2 weeks and love it...the concept is the alleviate all known foods that have the possibility of causing allergies or leaky gut and after the 30 days to slowly incorporate them back in to determine what foods cause you problems. I love it because it is no processed foods and encourages you to be conscious of what your putting in your body...I feel good and really got on track again today after the holiday...ready to do this!!!

    I don't know what definition you're using, but Whole30 allows things like almond flour, oils, almond milk, cacao powder, coffee, Larabars, nutritional yeast, and tahini -- all these foods have undergone processing. You can have canned vegetables, tapioca starch, and ghee -- all processed foods.

    It does encourage you to be conscious of what you're putting in your body, but the rules do seem really arbitrary. Like, you can't have vanilla extract because of the little bit of alcohol that it contains.
  • jleebone
    jleebone Posts: 23 Member
    I did whole 30 really early in the year and it absolutely changed my relationship with food. One important point, WHOLE 30 IS NOT A DIET (http://whole30.com/2015/05/diet-vs-whole30/). Of course like any sane person trying to lose weight, I also started with the intent of shedding a few pounds but it really and truly did so much more than that for me. The general concept is to remove inflammatory foods (lot of science behind this), even if it's in the smallest amount (alcohol in vanilla, cooking oil, etc - which makes sense if you use the elimination / reintroduction strategy they recommend). End of the day, you can only do the best you can do. I definitely had some vanilla extract in my homemade almond milk every once and a while and may not have known the exact oil all my foods were cooked in when I went out to eat but I did the best I could and it was a real eye opener. I am an emotional eater and come from a background of bad food habits, never learned to cook beyond spaghetti and a grilled cheese. I now cook almost every meal for myself (oh the beautiful veggies!). The biggest piece for me was how I felt. I don't know about you but I definitely have a habit and history of getting dressed and basically throwing a temper tantrum and getting really down on myself in front of the mirror about once a week - during my first whole 30, THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN. I felt strong emotionally, like I was able to make healthy decisions and could trust myself around a box of donuts for the first time in my life.

    I have read a lot of flack about whole 30 on MFP from people who have not read the full book and/or haven't actually finished the full 30 days and it really gets me down. I hope you give it a shot and have a good support group around, I def couldn't have done it without my pack of tea-shugging ladies. Anyone doing the whole 30 and needing a little encouragement or recipe ideas, feel free to add me!!
  • Frankenbarbie01
    Frankenbarbie01 Posts: 432 Member
    @lrobson555 there is a book that was written prior to Whole 30 by the same authors called "It starts with food" contains the same principles and I believe the first intro to a W30. It is designed to help the user become aware of how foods can affect a person in many other ways other than just filling a belly and eliminating the hungry feeling. For example I have a reaction on my skin (ie:acne and red bumps) that are related to dairy, I get terribly bloated and gassy when I eat grains or legumes of any sort (including rice brown or white), soy has been proven to have negative effects of female sex hormones (and is normally HUGELY processed) & alcohol and added sugars have no real contribution to health. I have done a few W30's and each time I learn something new about how my food or my fuel (because food is NOT love, or acceptance or any of those other things we crave and believe we will GET when we finally become thin) my food choices either get me closer to good health or farther away from it. I would strongly encourage you to give it a go, see how you feel...nobody ever died from not having bread or tofu eliminated from their diet for 30 days! I think its great you've found a resource that you want to try, and are choosing to make healthier choices! Congrats on that!! Feel free to add me as a friend...I could use another W30 buddy too! =)
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