What could this be? I feel super puffy

[Lhasa mama]

This is my 4th week being on Paleo and 3rd week on Whole 30.

The first week, I lost about 3 lbs. Then stopped weighing myself since I stated whole 30.

Even though I had severe sleep coma (I usually sleep 5-6 hours, but in the first week, I was sleeping 8-10 hours and I even had to call in sick one day), getting rid of a stomach bloat alone made me stick to Paleo and my research brought me to Whole30.  I bought a dress just before I went on a Paleo diet which was bit tight but after a week of being on a Paleo, the dress fit lose and comfortable. 

Everything was going great until this week.

Starting Tuesday I began to get bloated again. I feel puffy and I feel like I am retaining water.

My period is off (which I have posted on a forum a couple of days ago), so I am not sure if this puffiness is coming from period. I do retain quite a bit of water before or during a period which I believe is from a carb binging before starting a period.

I have some craving for carb now but not as crazy as it used to be.

I feel flabby and uncomfortable. The same dress doesn't fit like it did 2 weeks ago. I feel it when I cross my legs. It's not as comfortable as it did  last week.

What could be going on with me? Next week will be my 4th week on whole 30. 

This is not the situation I thought I was going to find myself in.

[notacommittee]

-What is "puffy"? Is it your ankles/calves? Your stomach? Some other body part? Can you get a little more specific about what you're experiencing?

 

-It is quite likely that it's related to hormones if your period is also a little wacky - I'd definitely look into that before anything else. Especially if you used to eat a lot of soy products before - soy contains estrogen, so detoxing from it might mess with your hormones in strange ways.

 

-have you changed your salt intake at all? That can really affect how much water you retain.

 

-It might just be one of those strange fluctuations that happens for apparently no reason. That happens to me sometimes; I think it's just part of being human and not a machine. Maybe give it a few days and see what happens.

[melbournegirl]

My first two whole30's I seemed to put on weight in my third/4th week.This whole30 I am eating very consistently (no binges on fruit or nuts and not snacking or overeating etc) yet I am still getting quite a lot of fluctuation in fluid etc and my period is 5 days late. I think this is all part of the whole30 process. I didn't off road much at all in between but I have given up coffee and alcohol and just that seems to be enough to have a big effect on my hormones.

Hang in there, and go to day35 or longer if you need to.

[Jenn B]

When my breasts (sorry if TMI) were soo sore and I was feeling like I was retaining water (and similar to you, NOT around PMS) my doctor simply said, "eliminate salt". Suffice to say, I did, nothing changed (damage was done) and relief was not felt until my menses arrived.

 

I am about to turn 45, and according to my older female friends, things do not stay status quo. 

 

As for eating compliant, I have been doing it (almost religiously for 7 months) and I will offer this: it takes time. Here's an example, my bowels did not sort themselves and get back into a rhythm until like the 3rd month. This was a huge source of frustration for me.

 

The Whole30, in my opinion, is not a quick fix. My issue was emotional eating (and food without breaks, like cannot just have 1 cupcake, if my daughter made them I should have 3!), which I still do very rarely,  however, 7 months in food does not have a control on me like it did!

 

As for the dress, stick to eating Whole, and give it time. 

I echo what many have said in other posts, it is about how you feel (and give it time!)