Having scoffed that meal down by 9:30pm, I was suddenly overwhelmed with a burst of energy! I don't want to speak too soon but when I woke up this morning I felt great! Could this be the Tiger blood kicking in on day 18? I hope so, and that the rest of my challenge will be a downhill stroll.
The main issue I'm still having is that I'm still hungry, to the point where I've now decided to change my blog name to stillhangry. I've always been a hangry person, and the W30 really isn't helping that but I do my best to stick to the rule of no snacking. The Hartwig's suggest that if you do a lot of exercise or have an active job (both for me) it's worth adding a fourth meal, instead of a snack. Yesterday I tried that, which could be why I'm feeling more energised, but I was famished by the time I got home from class and devoured my pork (amazing by the way)! So yesterday I ate:
MEAL ONE:
Chia Pudding, made with 4 tablespoons chia seeds, mashed banana and 250ml Alpro Unsweetened Almond Milk, mixed together and left to soak overnight. I then cut up an apple and added this in the morning, serving with a nice cup of black coffee.
MEAL TWO:
Not a massive meal, but I chose some honeydew melon, 5 dates, a handful of almonds and a green tea:
MEAL THREE:
I had two fried eggs, two tomatoes, a pear, a Nakd bar (damn you Nakd bar) and a black coffee.
MEAL FOUR:
The pulled pork above.
MEAL 4.5:
OK so technically meal 5, I had two plums, a peach and a few more almonds (I really can't go to bed hungry as much as I try to).
Why not just eat?
Hunger is still one of my main issues with the W30 plan. I still understand the body takes time to change the way you expend energy (using fat instead of carbs), and I'm still looking forward to the day I feel fuelled from waking to late evening (could today be the day?). For our body to begin using up the fat we've stored for energy, we need to stop snacking, giving our bodies a quick burst of carbs that are ready to use.
However, I just can't cope with the dizzy spells and stomach pains hunger brings, and not sure I ever will, plus it puts me in a bad mood. So I do eat, but just wait as long as possible.
This kind of leads on to my other issue with the W30...
Is it in the mind?
A HUGE part of this programme is to create a healthy relationship with food. The way I see it, your experience could go one of three ways, I'll go with my experience and the most boring first:
I don't have an issue with food:
This is where I would put myself. If you haven't read my blog post about what my diet was like before W30, click here. So I ate fairly healthy. Occasionally craved chocolate but know that I can go a day without it. I don't have to eat pancakes on pancake day. I hate mince pies. Basically, I don't eat things that I don't want to and savour the things I do. My dinners on the W30 are pretty much standard for me, although I am now starting to get more adventurous and ensuring I have leftovers for the next day (I'm awful at eating a good lunch).
Not having a psychological issue with food (in my opinion), I find the "Sex with your Pants on" rule a bit pointless. The fact you cannot have banana pancakes because you are trying to recreate a naughty pancake and this would satisfy your craving. Well I rarely eat pancakes (twice a year at most) and even then it's only ever a banana pancake as I think they taste better than the naughty ones. I never battle with myself over whether or not I should make pancakes, or feel guilty if I eat them. So why is putting two compliant W30 ingredients (eggs and bananas) together the be all and end all? Apparently it's to do with your relationship with food and learning to change your eating habits. Now, to disallow banana pancakes is one thing, but to then tell me I'm allowed Nakd bars?? Well... I just don't get it! To me, unwrapping a little bar of mushed up fruit and nut by far feels more naughty than consuming a bloomin' banana pancake (yes, I know I keep going on about this but my poor other half has had it non stop since day 1). I don't particularly like Nakd bars, and to me they are just fuel, but I still can't get my head around them being allowed. I'm an all or nothing kind of girl, and wouldn't moan about those pancakes if Nakd bars were officially off the menu. Maybe I do have a problem after all...
I love sticking to rules:
I think the W30 is amazing if you're a "rules" stickler and I don't have much more to comment on. What the Whole30 promises will most likely work for you. The huge list of do's and do not's make it easy to plan and succeed. You know just what you are having for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Most likely your body is completely in sync with the W30 timeline. You feel amazing, you can avoid temptation, you feel proud, YOU'RE INVINCIBLE! I'd like to congratulate you on your success, and really hope you'll take a lot away from your first W30, whether that's adding another 30/60/90 days or just trying to live by the rules as best as you can. But please bear in mind, that there are other people trying out this plan, and it's not quite so easy for them...
The Wrecking Ball:
This is another HUGE concern of mine with the W30. The programme is so extreme that such a sudden change in diet could end up spiralling you out of control, or leave you feeling that you're a failure if you slip up. If you know that a week or two into the programme you're likely to give into temptation and that'll act as the wrecking ball to a complete binge, this is most likely NOT the programme for you. Most importantly, this reaction is far from the desired result and can be very dangerous, emotionally and physically.
Firstly, if you're reading this and feel like quitting, please take a moment. Breathe, think of all the positives you've seen so far. Think about any dietary tweaks you've made you could stick with (for me, certainly it's black coffee).
Now, if you still want to quit, try to live out another day. Take each day at as it comes. If you do in fact fall off the wagon and give in to a chocolate bar, enjoy it, but please don't feel guilty. Feeling guilty and ashamed of yourself will lead to binges, and they're really not good for you. Instead, take a few weeks off W30, trying to keep as many of the compliant foods in your diet as possible. In these few weeks, have a look at your diary, plan 30 days where you have minimal social events and try to plan out as many meals as possible. Think of some new hobbies you could take up to keep you busy during your next W30.
If you decide that the W30 is too extreme for you, and you don't cope well with a strict list of rules, then opt for something else instead, build up to the Whole30. If your main problem is chocolate, give up chocolate. If you have sugar in your tea/coffee, begin to wean yourself off it. If you think dairy upsets your stomach, start trying some dairy alternatives and note it will take a few goes to get used to the flavour. Give up alcohol or fizzy drinks (or fruit juice). Make an effort to cook fresh meals (especially important if you use microwavable meals or have take aways). If you'd like a challenge in between the W30 and just giving one thing up, try the 30 Day Sugar Free Challenge - I guarantee it's still hard, but no where near as restrictive and you'll still see great results and you'll definitely change a few bad habits!
My Summary:
Whatever category you find yourself in, please bear in mind that you should never, ever let the Whole30 RULE YOU! EVER! You are always in control. If you do have to end the programme early, don't use that as an excuse to eat the diet you ate before, you've learnt so much! If you end up on a binge, just pick yourself back up and proceed as best you can. Small changes to your diet over time make a MASSIVE difference, never underestimate what you've achieved.
Don't start your W30 on a whim. Plan, plan and plan some more and then make sure that YOU ARE READY.
It does take some getting used to but I'm finding that as I progress on the Whole30, I'm enjoying it much more. I'm looking forward to cooking my evening meals and I actually have the energy to cook them too (that or I'm too excited to eat).
Good luck to all of you.
Vicki
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