Well... I did my first Whole 30....

[Lyn1]

Okay, I'm going to post this as a success even though I'm not happy with the results. There are some successes to be happy about. I'll start with the good stuff.

What I'm Happy About:

1. I did the Whole 30 with no cheating! Yay! I usually don't stay on diets for very long.

2. I can now wear my wedding ring.

3. When I started, I wore a size 16 and now I wear a size 14.

4. I have fallen in love with my local farmer's market and have so much fun finding really good veggies, grass-fed beef, pastured chicken, etc.

5. We have gotten in the habit of eating dinner at the table with my 1 year old in her high chair. We used to eat in front of the TV.

6. The best thing is that I no longer get that "OMG, I gotta eat NOW" syndrome. I feel like I'm in control of my food rather than the other way around.

7. I can now get through a workout without feeling like I'm going to die. Also, my recovery is much faster.

Things I'm Really Ticked Off About:

1. I didn't lose any frickin' weight! ...or inches! %$#@! I started at 170 and I'm still at 170. (I'm only 5'3".) Yes, I know we're not supposed to attach meaning to a number on a scale but it still really makes you feel like crap to do a diet like this and not lose even ONE pound. Also, my measurements are pretty much the same. I don't know how this is possible and for me to still go down a dress size. Maybe I didn't measure correctly to begin with. The thing that sucks is that my BMI is 30.1. Just on the wrong side of "obese". I REALLY wanted to go down to merely "overweight" but alas, I'm still in the "obese" range. Wah.

2. I still get tired in the afternoons.

3. I still get headaches.

These are the 3 main reasons why I did the Whole30 in the first place. Maybe I just need more time? I'm going to take a break and then do another W30 in a week or so. I think I ate too much fruit this time. Looking back, I can see I had fruit at just about every meal and also some snacks. Also, I went a little cuckoo on the coconut! I need to not buy coconut manna or butter. Or coconut flakes. Or have berries with coconut milk. I think I need to see fruit and nut butter and coconut products as a "sometimes" food. Not an "everyday" food.

[Steph912]

You should be proud that you made it with no cheating--that is no small feat!! I finished Tuesday and had similar results...or lack thereof--ha. My main thing is that my energy is just not where I would like for it to be. I was eating a sweet potato each day but freaked out about 10 days and decided to cut back. So maybe we need more carbs? Hmm..

And I hear ya on the coconut...I can't get enough of the butter!!!

[rhondaNtx]

@Lyn1, thanks for sharing both sides of your whole30. I think 1-7 is an amazing success list especially #5 quality time with your family over meals, that's priceless. I hear you on 1-3, I'm on Day 2 and I took an afternoon nap yesterday & today. I put the timer on for 20 min., no worries about over-sleeping, & I wake up refreshed, ready to tackle the busiest part of my day as a mom.

[Tiffany Precissi]

The positives are AMAZING! I would definitely try it again with reduced fruit and sweet triggers. You'll probably see more of a result than you expect. Good luck!

[Robin Strathdee]

Lyn1 -

First of all, your success list is fantastic! Each of those things singly would be an amazing accomplishment in a month, but you did ALL of them. ALL. Great work. That took a lot of determination.

Now, about the not-so-good stuff...

A)I lost exactly 0.4 lbs after my first Whole30. That is not exciting at all...unless you consider that my pants size changed. As did yours. There is considerable swelling and bloating in an unhealthy gut that disappears when you change what's on your plate but doesn't result in much weight loss. This could be the reasoning for your sizing change as well, and is a great indicator that things are changing for the better.

2) There are a lot of other factors involved in weight loss. You have a 1 year old. That, by default, means your sleep is less than adequate. Sleep goes a LOOOONG way in your body's willingness to lose weight. Stress is another huge factor. As is activity level or movement. You didn't mention whether you did or didn't exercise during your program, but even just getting out and walking can go a long way toward weight loss.

3) Getting tired in the afternoon, in my opinion, is directly correlated to having a baby at home. It's almost unavoidable. Again, it's that sleep thing. Again, doing your best to de-stress, exercising and resting when you can will go a long way toward this. I would pretty much say the same thing about the headaches. I only get headaches when I'm tired. I have a 3 and a 4 1/2 yo, so I am frequently tired.

You ROCKED your Whole30. Seriously. Make sure you pat yourself on the back for making such big changes in your life and in your little one's life. Next time around, maybe reduce your fruit, maybe cut back the coconut, but most especially, be kind to yourself and give your body a chance to rebound from a lifetime of less than healthy choices.

[LauraPh2009]

Success 1-7 are huge... be proud!

[Derval]

Imagine you'd lost 5lbs but done none of 1-7? Now that wouldn't be any good would it?

You made significant & meaningful changes to your life & how you live it, be proud of what you accomplished.

Take care & be kind to yourself

[Keri W.]

Wonderful job! You have so much to be proud of!

[Lyn1]

Thanks for the encouragement! The thing is, I think I would rather have lost 5 pounds than have all those things. Isn't that crazy? What's wrong with me?

.....and Robin, you are SO right about the whole sleep thing. I haven't had a good night's sleep in......well, since my baby was born, really. I guess the best food in the world can't make-up for lack of sleep. I did exercise but not until the 3rd week. I just didn't have the energy before then.

Also, the stress is about to go up because I'm going back to work on Monday after having been a stay-at-home-mom for the past year. I'm going to do the Whole30 again because now I have to learn how to do it while working and taking lunches on the go and having less time for cooking. Hope to see you all around. I have to say, I love this forum! Not sure I would've stayed on the program without it.

[Derval]

Good luck with your return to work, hope you adjust to your new schedule without too much trouble.

[jhmomi]

Best of luck with the new job. You have a lot going on so just take it one day at a time and do the best you can do. That's all you would ask of anyone else and more importantly it's all you should ask of yourself. And life is super crazy with little ones but it does get easier. Either that or you just adapt to the permanent household chaos and limited sleep. I think that's what happened after I had my third child...

[Robin Strathdee]

Yes, congrats on the new job! The strange thing is...my stress level actually went down when I went back to work. I got to spend the day with adults who could (presumably) feed, dress, bathe and toilet themselves! Then, when I came home to my kiddos, I felt like I had something left in the tank for them. I became much more level headed and had the willpower to take a deep breath when I got stressed out.

Can't wait to hear how Whole30 2.0 goes!!