Anyone else want to clean up their eating in January with me?

[Tanukisan]

Copying and pasting over from chat in case anyone is browsing here looking for something like this:

I'm going to do a Whole30 in January with a few friends. Thirty days of stripped back eating - no dairy, grains, sugars, legumes, artificial sweetners, alcohol or caffeine. Just lots of healthy proteins, fats, veg and some fruit. More about the diet:
here

That link has the rules, shopping guidelines and meal planning templates. Here's another on meal planning and eating:
here

Anyone else fancy it?

[Firsttimer1984]

Yes please. I have had a rubbish year and really need to sort my life out in 2015.... Only problem is I can't see the links. Do you want to lose weight or just be healthier? I need to lose a bit,probably just under a stone. I am hoping not to have too much more after the festive period!

[BeetlebumShesAGun]

I want to join! Have been interested in "clean eating" for a while.

I can't see the links either and I can't find the post in chat though

[ImBrian]

I've started off now, I'm 3 weeks post giving birth and have 2 stone to loose! So far dropping potatos, bread and white pasta has been no problem but I'm struggling with sugar.

I'm eating lots of veg and chicken/fish but keep having something sugary once a day which I need to cut out. Even with that my calories are a lot lower then previously.

I was eating really unhealthily before though so even this is a massive improvement.

[Firsttimer1984]

Wow, Imbrian, when I was three weeks after having ds all I could think about was surviving the day and that involved a lot of toast, pasta and chocolate in proportions big enough for a rugby player so it sounds like you are doing really well.

I have googled it and it sounds amazing. I'm starting a light version now in preparation and so I can be a bit naughty over christmas without too much damage.

Has anyone ever tried this kind of diet before?

[ImBrian]

I've needed ice cream tonight, my 3 year old is going ballistic and refusing to sleep so inbetween that and feeding the baby I need sugar or I'm going to die of sleep deprivation!

My sister has a personal trainer and is on a very clean diet. She's cut out everything you can't catch, kill or grow and has no processed foods at all. She's lost some weight but is also building a lot of muscle so noticing it more in inch loss. She swears by this agarve nectar for when you need a sugar hit.

[Tanukisan]

Sorry everyone! Link to the chat thread (with working links!!):
here

[Tanukisan]

ImBrian impressive! Three weeks post-natal (both times) I was mainlining sugar.

So, I gave up sugar in August and then since September have been doing BIWI's low carb bootcamp. Thoroughly recommend it and since August I've lost 20lbs. Very happy. My most significant achievement has been ditching the sugar. I went cold turkey - tough but doable and I feel much better for it. Getting rid of the wheat also had a really noticeable effect on my stomach, deflating it! I look slimmer at this weight than I have previously at about half a stone lighter, actually. So if a whole30 seems too much for anyone, I heartily recommend BIWI's bootcamps. There'll be another of them in January.

For me, reducing the number of migraines (plus weightloss) was the main aim of the low carb/no sugar approach. Buuuuut, I'm still heavily reliant on dairy and caffeine (coffee and the dreaded diet coke). I want to see what getting rid of those for a month does for my head. I'm an all-or-nothing girl so need clear rules and a timescale.

The idea is that after a month you reintroduce foods in a controlled manner so you can really understand exactly which foods affect you negatively and how.

On weightloss - theres loads of very positive stories on the internet about this. However, the rules are quite strict - you can only weigh/take measurements before you start and after you finish - not during! The focus is health.

[CarolBornAMan]

Yes! I was planning to this after buying the book - I did a similar detox years ago in January and felt amazing - am in huge need to improve diet and improve energy levels so this is great to get the support I always need as motivation is weak.. I will need the rest of month to get head round what I will be eating and cooking as needs preparation to achieve -no grabbing a sandwich on this plan.. and need to come to terms with no coffee now and not on January 1 !

[RubySlippers77]

I'm with you, Tanukisan. We are (hopefully!) starting IVF in January and all the books I've read point towards this kind of lifestyle. I actually don't find it too hard when I'm cooking and eating at home, but any kind of meal out throws me; I'm vegetarian and there doesn't seem to be a lot of suitable places to eat.

Great idea, I will watch this thread with interest

[Tanukisan]

Not right now plum but in two weeks wine I will be! Hajimemashite

[Tanukisan]

Wine?! No wine on this way of eating! Time

[Firsttimer1984]

Ok, so checking in, have been up half the night with a vomiting ds so snuggled on sofa. Are people planning to start some exercise with this as well? If so, what are you thinking?

[Tanukisan]

Ah we're only visitng relatives over Christmas and New Year I'm afraid...???

Firsttimer, I'm planning on starting the 7 minute workout app I down ages ago - seems like s decent place to start!

[BeetlebumShesAGun]

I'm so up for this. I'm getting married in April and have just started working out with a personal trainer - the wedding is a short term goal though. I am sick sick sick of eating crap and going on things like Weight Watchers where you have to pay. I want my focus to be health and fitness.

[Reekypear]

Tbh if you won't start now, you won't do it in January. Most New Years resolutions fail. If you want to eat crap over Christmas then you are not dealing with the root of the problem, and that's a wrong attitude to food.

[Tanukisan]

That's not hugely positive, reeky. Starting in jan gives people a chance to plan and prepare. Not true either in my case as I've already 20lbs since August and removed sugar and grains from my diet.

[Firsttimer1984]

Wow thanks for that reeky! Actually I am trying to maintain/lose a little this month in preparation for full steam ahead in january. Besides I am having quite a major operation tomorrow so january will probably be when I am starting to feel better and I dont want to be in this position health wise again.

tanukisan, is the app just called seven minute workout?

Thanks.

[Tanukisan]

It's this one firsttimer.

What's the recuperation time for your op? I'm assuming you'll be off work until the new year?

[Firsttimer1984]

Brilliant thank you. It is key hole surgery on my ovary so I am hoping 10 days should do it. I had the same procedure eight weeks ago and unfortunately have a recurrence (it is probably nothing to do with my diet but I am trying to have all bases covered)!
App looks brilliant and everyone has seven minutes a day!!

[ImBrian]

I'm planning in doing couch to 5 k and 30 day shred once my pelvis starts sorting itself out.

I'm finding it impossible to cut out sugar completely. Any tips from those who went cold turkey?

[Tanukisan]

Just that cold turkey was the way to go for me. Have you read 'Sweet Poison Quit Plan'? It's great because it talks about the physiological mechanism of addiction and how to break that. Identifying when you're vulnerable to sugar and coming up with tactics in advance is so important.

[Karbea]

Are there details of what whole30 is online somewhere?