I'll be honest. I really didn't do the re-introduction phase of the program like you're supposed to. One of the main purposes of Whole 30 is to see how your body reacts to different foods, especially after not eating them for a month. And the only way to assess that is to add them back in gradually, and individually.
I didn't do that.
Partly because I don't think I have an allergy or intolerance to certain foods. And for me, Whole 30 wasn't about trying to figure that out. Rather, I wanted to get to a place where I could make good decisions about food, no matter what the circumstance. I wanted to feel that "tiger blood" where you have energy all day long, with no mid-afternoon slumps. I wanted to know what it felt like to have your body operate on burning its own fat, instead of burning sugar. And of course, I was hoping to drop a few pounds in the process.
I have to say . . . I got what I wanted.
It's been three weeks, and although I haven't systematically tested the things on the "no-no" list, I've made some deliberate decisions to add back in just a few things (only the things I missed), and see if it caused any negative effects. And fortunately, so far, they have not.
I've gone back to adding cream in my coffee. I just can't enjoy it black, as hard as I tried to convince myself that I could. Usually I'll drink it without sugar (which is a big thing, I used to add two Splenda), and that's pretty tolerable. Occasionally, I'll add a spritz of sugar, but I've gotten to where it tastes "wrong" if it's too sweet.
I've also made a few recipes that called for cheese. One of my favorites is a cabbage casserole. The only modification I make is that I don't add as much rice as it calls for. I used half a bag of Uncle Bens brown rice (made in the microwave) the first time I made it, and the second time, I used chunks of cubed rutabega, which was surprisingly delicious.
For the most part, I'm still doing Whole 30 only because I see no reason to stop. There are times I'll walk through Publix and something will catch my eye, like a new cereal or a dessert. And I'll think, man, I'll bet that's good. But then I tell myself, if ever I'm faced with it and I want to try it, I will. But there's no point in buying it just to try it. I don't want it THAT bad.
I still drink a lot of smoothies, and I'll mix pretty much anything with eggs. But I'm also enjoying foods I never thought I liked before. Like eggplant. I found if you roast it in chunks with some tomatoes and shallots, tossed in a little oil, it's freaking delicious.
And I can't seem to get enough guacamole --and my new favorite chip (yucca chips)! I get them from Publix and can honestly say, I'll never go back to potato chips again. They're light, crunchy, salty and perfect when you need a little something to munch on.
My sweet indulgence is roasted coconut clusters (found at Costco). Purely sinful. Not a good idea to have during Whole 30 because I'm sure they've got some honey in there, but they're not so sweet that they knock me off track. And they've got lots of healthy nuts to keep me full.
I didn't do that.
Partly because I don't think I have an allergy or intolerance to certain foods. And for me, Whole 30 wasn't about trying to figure that out. Rather, I wanted to get to a place where I could make good decisions about food, no matter what the circumstance. I wanted to feel that "tiger blood" where you have energy all day long, with no mid-afternoon slumps. I wanted to know what it felt like to have your body operate on burning its own fat, instead of burning sugar. And of course, I was hoping to drop a few pounds in the process.
I have to say . . . I got what I wanted.
It's been three weeks, and although I haven't systematically tested the things on the "no-no" list, I've made some deliberate decisions to add back in just a few things (only the things I missed), and see if it caused any negative effects. And fortunately, so far, they have not.
I've gone back to adding cream in my coffee. I just can't enjoy it black, as hard as I tried to convince myself that I could. Usually I'll drink it without sugar (which is a big thing, I used to add two Splenda), and that's pretty tolerable. Occasionally, I'll add a spritz of sugar, but I've gotten to where it tastes "wrong" if it's too sweet.
I've also made a few recipes that called for cheese. One of my favorites is a cabbage casserole. The only modification I make is that I don't add as much rice as it calls for. I used half a bag of Uncle Bens brown rice (made in the microwave) the first time I made it, and the second time, I used chunks of cubed rutabega, which was surprisingly delicious.
For the most part, I'm still doing Whole 30 only because I see no reason to stop. There are times I'll walk through Publix and something will catch my eye, like a new cereal or a dessert. And I'll think, man, I'll bet that's good. But then I tell myself, if ever I'm faced with it and I want to try it, I will. But there's no point in buying it just to try it. I don't want it THAT bad.
I still drink a lot of smoothies, and I'll mix pretty much anything with eggs. But I'm also enjoying foods I never thought I liked before. Like eggplant. I found if you roast it in chunks with some tomatoes and shallots, tossed in a little oil, it's freaking delicious.
And I can't seem to get enough guacamole --and my new favorite chip (yucca chips)! I get them from Publix and can honestly say, I'll never go back to potato chips again. They're light, crunchy, salty and perfect when you need a little something to munch on.
My sweet indulgence is roasted coconut clusters (found at Costco). Purely sinful. Not a good idea to have during Whole 30 because I'm sure they've got some honey in there, but they're not so sweet that they knock me off track. And they've got lots of healthy nuts to keep me full.
I'm also happy to report that last time I got on the scale, I was down almost 14 pounds. That's a huge win for me. It's been YEARS since I was able to see the scale move in the other direction, no matter how well I thought I was eating.
That's another reason why I'm in no hurry to turn this ship around. If I can continue to lose and get to where I want to be (maybe another 8 pounds or so), I think I'd have a pretty decent shot at maintaining it.
Yes, I'm drinking wine again . . but not as often or as much as I was before. And I have a take or leave it attitude, which is nice.
I'm really glad I gave this thing a try. We'll see how long it lasts.
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ReplyDeleteKim, you're doing great! It's okay to treat yourself to something fun occasionally. especially if you're still eating clean most of the time. It sounds like you're staying the course pretty well. As you say, there's no need to turn the ship around, especially given the benefits you've been experiencing, and I would say that if anything, you'll just slightly adjust course as time goes on rather than actually change direction, or return to Whole 30 eating when you've deviated more than you wanted. I'm so proud of you!
ReplyDeleteI regret that I stopped my Whole 30 plan one week early, even though I was so sick with the flu that I wasn't able to stomach much or really cook. I would like to have experienced the full effects of 30 days of clean eating. I wasn't eating much once I got sick, but I did eat a little pasta a few times and ate crackers fairly frequently, and also the occasional bagel, in addition to fruit. When the pneumonia hit and I started antibiotics, the meds made everything that I still could taste taste bad and chemical-y, so then I really didn't eat much at all for a few weeks. I think that I lost more weight being sick than I did eating clean, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it! I finally felt much better this past week and my appetite returned, so I've gone a bit overboard enjoying some sweet treats that I had craved, some wine, and cheese in some foods. What I have confirmed is that, as I suspected, my system doesn't handle dairy products well, so I am going to limit dairy now much more than I have in the past. I'm also making the tasty Whole 30-compliant homemade spaghetti sauce rather than store-bought when we do have pasta (once a week, roughly), and I'm opting for potatoes and/or veggies where we used to have rice.
Now that I have splurged a bit and gotten some cravings out of my system, I plan to get back to eating more whole foods and fewer sweet treats and wine going forward. I've found that I'm satisfied with smaller portions more now, so I will strive to be more aware of portion size and not overfeed myself. In addition, I will resume working out this week now that I have some energy back and can breathe without coughing. :)
Stay strong and keep at your healthy ways, girl! You're awesome!