34 replies to this topic

[Sarah C. Langland-Johnson]

Thank you so much everyone! Robin and Renee, I feel so honored that you posted your thoughts here and that you really care about my situation. I am over the top happy with the fact that I have a new job that I am starting on Wednesday. I went shopping today to stock up on my essentials and got tons of produce - I am feeling so happy about being able to eat paleo/primal again I have decided to start up with the right meals tomorrow (done with food for today). The irony for me is that my new job is as an RN (well, until I pass state boards I am a GN). It is interesting to me to read the standard nutrition mantra and it is like gagging on something nasty to me to have to read my discharge instructions to patients who have new heart conditions or stomach issues or are post-surgical. In my head I am screaming "NO"! I really hope at some point in my life to be in place where my heart for helping people and my nutritional and wellness knowledge come together into something but I am working on that. I will follow my heart (and Kirsteen's advice :-) ) and not worry about counting points or calories. I wasn't thrilled about the prospect but willing to do so to be healthier. I think doing my first W30 was the first time in my life that I actually felt healthy, strong and confident, even though my body is so far from where it needs to be, it was healing to my soul to simply eat that which nourishes me and to be freed from the constant hell of worrying about how much I ate and if it was healthy enough or if I was going to lose weight this week, etc. As somone who loves her Creator for making the amazing human body, it has always gone against my core beliefs that we should have to do this to maintain a healthy body. I know now and am confirmed that I don't have too - I just need to eat what (and how) I was made to eat. Thank you, thank you, and thank you!

[ereiam]

Sarah - I started my diet changes morbidly obese at 287 pounds. I now weigh around 200. (I'm at about 220 in my "after" profile picture.) I started losing weight by counting calories and carbs, but I am completely convinced that I have maintained my weight because of paleo. I do not measure, count, etc. Now I am a person that was obsessed with food. I take medication that increases my appetite. Sucks. But when I eat paleo I am NOT obsessed about food. And to be honest, I eat a lot more than the palmful of protein. I think I'm always going to have a big appetite, but with paleo I have peace about food. and even though I still weigh 200 I have peace about my body. I am no longer morbidly obese, or obese, just overweight. I'd love to keep losing, but I've stayed the same for the last 6 months.

You can lose a lot of weight with paleo and not measuring. But to me, even more importantly, I am maintaining weight loss effortlessly with no calorie counting.

[gboyum]

Personally I never found counting calories to benefit weight loss or, more importantly, body image. In previous attempts I would use one of those online calorie counters. I would try to keep calories under 2000 a day, for a moderate to highly active person, and I would be starving. Plus the counters would add up my percentages and I would always have over 50% of calories from fat. On days that I would actually stay under 2000 and 20% fat I would be so hungry and tired, and it was so mentally draining. I would follow the counting program for 2-3 weeks before I would just get frustrated and quit. Depressed that I just didn't have the "will power" to eat less.

That is why I became really interested in the Whole 30 program. No counting! During my first I lost about 12 lbs, and I am sure I was eating well over 2000 calories a day, and lots of yummy healthy fat.

I do have a question about the portion sizes. I didn't read ISWF during my first Whole 30 and I am about half way through reading it now, a week in to my 2nd. I didn't follow any portion sizes and still don't, and probably won't. How essential is that to the Whole 30 plan? Wouldn't that be kind of similar to counting calories? Looking back at my meals I think that the eating plan seems to naturally dictate the portion sizes with out me trying. Larger portions of fat or protein at one meal seem to prompt me to eat less of that at the next.

[lexibelle5110]

Yes you can lose weight, at your size, without counting calories or points.

I started my first W30 at about 340 or so and while I tried counting calories/points during my first W30 I gave up about a week or so into the process. It was too much to have to deal with (calculating points/calories for homecooked recipes is a PITA) and both systems I was using (SparkPeople and WW) were telling me I needed less fat, more carbs, less protein, more wholegrains, etc. I just wasn't getting useful information from it. I did keep a food journal through my first W30 though and that helped to trouble-shoot why I was feeling bad/tired/extra good on a specific day. It also helped after the W30 with reintroduction because it helped me pinpoint which foods I could include on a limited basis without feeling like crud.

Since I finished that W30 I've continued to steadily lose weight without the strict restriction of the W30 and definitely not being 100% complaint. I think this is the first year that I'm listening to everyone around me complain about gaining holiday weight and I've actually managed to lose. Not as much as I could have if I'd been more strict, but the fact that I lost something is huge.

Good luck I'm starting my 2nd one on January 15th and am so excited to feel 100% better again.

Haha - I just read your reply and how you felt about the 'nutrition information' you have to give people. I went through a similar experience recently and have no idea how I'll bring myself to teach kids that low-fat, low-carb, no-sugar foods are healthier than eating real food.

[Margie]

Hey, Everybody.

I started W30 four days ago, weighing 287 lbs. My goal is to just follow the program as it is written. I think I'll lose weight b/c my body will switch from carb-burning to fat-burning.

I started paleo (as best I could) at the beginning of November and immediately felt like I had tons more energy than I'd had for a long, long time. I didn't lose weight--not sure why. But I think that as I get healthier, I will lose weight and I definitely have many health challenges to overcome.

In the meantime, I'm not overly focused on future results b/c I'm still exulting in the fact that I have sufficient energy to do the things each day that I want to do. What a gift!!!! Really and truly, at least right now, I don't need anything more than that.

Thanks, everyone, for being here. And good luck to all!

Margie

[Susan W]

Margie, on 05 January 2013 - 04:39 AM, said:

Hey, Everybody.

I started W30 four days ago, weighing 287 lbs. My goal is to just follow the program as it is written. I think I'll lose weight b/c my body will switch from carb-burning to fat-burning.

I started paleo (as best I could) at the beginning of November and immediately felt like I had tons more energy than I'd had for a long, long time. I didn't lose weight--not sure why. But I think that as I get healthier, I will lose weight and I definitely have many health challenges to overcome.

In the meantime, I'm not overly focused on future results b/c I'm still exulting in the fact that I have sufficient energy to do the things each day that I want to do. What a gift!!!! Really and truly, at least right now, I don't need anything more than that.

Thanks, everyone, for being here. And good luck to all!

Margie

Margie, welcome! And can I please clone your philosophy and your attitude. Take it day by day and enjoy the process.

[happyhippybaby]

I know this thread is a few months old, but I am also "morbidly obese", and am curious about additional struggles there may be. I have been overweight now for longer than I wasn't and have always struggled with food/body image issues/binging.

Some of the things I am noticing now (DAY 1, post meal 1) is I feel hungry. The problem though is I don't know if it is actually hunger, or something else. I usually eat til I am stuffed, which I am pretty full, but I still feel a gnawing in my stomach. It's a physical sensation that I always associate with hunger. I know I ate plenty. It was good. I am also addicted to diet coke. Went cold turkey last night to start clean with the W30. I just can't figure out what this feeling is, and what I can do to stop it.

I feel great with the *idea* of eating what my body needs, but how do I follow that philosophy if I can't figure out what my body is telling me? I mentally know that a certain amount of food should be enough, but the feelings or signals my body is sending are different. I am not even remotely skimping on anything either.

I know this is a rambling jumble of weirdness. lol I am just maybe scared, which feels really silly. I am a grown up, and this is just FOOD!!

[CraftyCarnivore]

Just popping in here…

• You can’t criticize the W30 day 1, meal 1 after however many months/years of an unhealthy diet. You really need to give the program 2-3 weeks to fully appreciate how good you feel.
  
• That gnawing feeling in your stomach – is it in your stomach or in your head? My guess is the latter.
  
• Let the program work for you, and do not try to work the program. That means eating by the template and not just eating W30 compliant foods. There’s a difference.
  
• Find other ways to manage the hungries – go for a walk, drink tea, etc.

[carolinaBlue]

I get that gnawing feeling after eating sometimes, too. Logically, I know it can't be hunger 'cause I haven't even finished putting the dirty pots & pans in the dishwasher!

Maybe it's anxiety manifesting as a hungry feeling? Making these changes can expose a lot of emotions that we've been masking with certain foods, routines, and relationships. But, that's the point of the Whole 30 - to change our unhealthy relationship with food so that hungry feeling can be an indicator that you're moving in the right direction.

[happyhippybaby]

Thanks for the input. I think maybe it is just anxiety or digestion or something. I think I am just more aware of my body and what it is physically doing after eating because now I know how things are working chemically, where before reading the book I would have not given it a second thought.

I am not trying to criticize the plan, far from it. This was asking a question about me and my reaction/feelings/emotional junk tied to the eating plan. I believe in the plan, I am hooked. Trust me. I am ready to have a healthy relationship with food again.

I am also eating the way the book says to. Not just W30 complaint foods, but making sure I am having fats/proteins/and lots of good veggies. I had a banana at the end of Meal 1.

This inquiry was really just about my unhealthy relationship with food, not understanding how my body is feeling, and some possible anxiety surrounding the changes I'm making. I wasn't trying to offend or suggest there is something wrong with the plan.

[LadyM]

happyhippybaby, on 19 April 2013 - 07:34 PM, said:

Some of the things I am noticing now (DAY 1, post meal 1) is I feel hungry. The problem though is I don't know if it is actually hunger, or something else. I usually eat til I am stuffed, which I am pretty full, but I still feel a gnawing in my stomach. It's a physical sensation that I always associate with hunger. I know I ate plenty. It was good. I am also addicted to diet coke. Went cold turkey last night to start clean with the W30. I just can't figure out what this feeling is, and what I can do to stop it.

I feel great with the *idea* of eating what my body needs, but how do I follow that philosophy if I can't figure out what my body is telling me? I mentally know that a certain amount of food should be enough, but the feelings or signals my body is sending are different. I am not even remotely skimping on anything either.

I can completely relate; I felt the same way at the start of my Whole30. I'm only on Day 11 and my spaz out/trust issues have already resolved themselves.

My understanding is it's important that you not go hungry. If that means you overeat a little while remaining true to the template, that's better than being hungry shortly after eating. This was a struggle for me, and I kept the intention to eat to satisfaction not stuffed. It happened in less than a week.

I think our bodies are undernourished (though often overfed) when we start this program, and once our bodies start getting the nourishment they need, they start to relax and the impulse to eatandeatandeatandeat just dissolves.

Now I eat to satisfaction and my relationship with food is becoming unremarkable and downright pleasant.

One thing I do recommend is to be vigilant about HOW you eat in addition to what you eat. Eat sitting down without distraction. Focus on enjoying the healthy food you've prepared. Rid your table of distractions such as reading, email, t.v., etc. For me this has helped sync my brain and body immensely.

Oh, and it helps me to remember never to eat so much that I couldn't go dancing after I finish eating. It's a revelation to not be stuffed and to make a habit of it.

You can do this!

[Kirsteen]

happyhippybaby, on 19 April 2013 - 08:24 PM, said:

This inquiry was really just about my unhealthy relationship with food, not understanding how my body is feeling, and some possible anxiety surrounding the changes I'm making. I wasn't trying to offend or suggest there is something wrong with the plan.

Don't worry, absolutely no offence taken. Personally I think many of us are 'broken' in our whole relationship with food when we first come to a W30. We're so used to either stuffing ourselves because junk food is made to be addictive or severely restricting ourselves on 'diets', when were we ever taught to actually listen and respond to our bodies needs. It's no wonder we get our signals skewed and our wires crossed. It took me quite a while to work out when I was hungry and when I was craving. It even took me a while to work out the difference between being hungry and feeling sick, that's how crossed my wires were

It may be just *food* as you say but our society has literally packaged it with so much emotional baggage that it can be hard to get back to a stage where we regard it as fuel to nourish our bodies. However, it sounds like you're doing awesome and it does get easier as it goes on. So good luck and keep us posted how you do.

[kitchenwizz]

Hippyhappybaby, I know exactly the gnawing feeling you're talking about. I used to get it, too, before and/or after a meal and felt it could only be relieved by eating/eating more.

I'm on my second W30 now and don't get the gnawing anymore. I don't know if you are going to include sweet potato or pumpkin with each meal..... I didn't do that in the first few weeks of my first W30, and until I did, I still felt hungry even WITH the right portions of protein, fat and heaps of vegetables. That's another thing - I find cooked veggies more satiating than salad, even though I usually include some leafy greens along with my veggies. Hope this and all the other comments help!

[nksl]

I also have gotten what I call "bounce-back hunger"---feeling hungry shortly after finishing a meal. I think it was my mind's way of saying "Where's my sweet treat?!" since I used to finish off pretty much every meal with at least a little chocolate, a cookie, some ice cream, etc. It took a few days for that rumbly-in-my-tumbly to realize that no sweets were coming and it might as well take a nap!

[befabdaily]

I am pretty sure that gnawing type of hunger has to do with addiction-type signals you are getting from either wheat or sugar. Once you adapt to Whole30, it kinda goes away. I had been subject to that for years and always thought it was weird. Hunger is much milder and more rational when you're eating the right things.