So I feel like I'm slinking back to happyeaters after doing the whole 30. To be perfectly honest, I really enjoyed it. I was finally eating big, satisfying meals. My digestion was pretty good, my energy and mood were good, and I made a conscious effort not to undereat. However I still ate a lot of fruit and dried fruit to address sugar cravings which didn't feel great. I'd rather just have a small amount of something sweet. Previously I was eating some pretty questionable "meals", relying a lot on yogurt, peanut butter, protein bars, carrots, and apples. I think it was a good exercise in relearning how to cook and make an actual meal. I felt really good and proud that I did it. I noticed that I was less bloated, and that my old ring was fitting again--that actually boggled my mind.
HOWEVER...Now is when shit hits the fan. Now is when I have to introduce these foods back in and deal with lingering guilt over eating them. I feel like I ended the whole 30 in a very similar place when it comes to food and body and weight, when I thought (I really thought) this would revolutionize all of it. I think I was definitely on a dieter's high during it, and now that I really think about the long term sustainability, and how I want to eat for the rest of my life, I feel like I've kind of woken up.
Yesterday I feel like I finally gave myself permission to eat and I ate so much--even when I wasn't hungry. And I didn't feel great about it. I think when the reins are that tight, loosening them just lets everything go. Wanted to hop on here to share my story and see if any of you happy eaters have thoughts on "recovering" from the whole 30. I find now that when I eat grains or sugar I get really tired. I don't really want that to happen--I'd rather my body be efficient about dealing with them.
I hope you're feeling better soon, @jazzapple. Maybe try bland and easy on the veggie volume for a minute, the kinds of things people eat when they have the stomach flu. Broth, Jell-o, saltine crackers, and whatnot just to let it settle down.