Not burning fat

[rootytooty]

I'm on day 18 of whole 30 and generally feeling good.  The biggest change for me is the improvement of my IBS symptoms.  I'm not finding the program difficult to adhere to since the food isn't all that different from my normal diet.  I am eating much more at meal times than my pre-whole 30 diet, and as a result, I'm hardly snacking at all.  I know that the emphasis of this program is not on weight loss, but that most people do experience some weight loss.  I can tell that I am not burning more fat on this plan, and I know from the way that my clothes feel that I'm not losing any weight.  I'm wondering whether I should cut back on my starchy vegetables to try kick start some fat burning?

[jmcbn]

Hey @rootytooty - It's really impossible to comment without knowing what exactly you are eating.

Can you list out what you have eaten over the last 3-4 days giving specifics on portion sizes, veg types, snacks, water intake, activity levels etc? That way we'd be better placed to help you troubleshoot.

If you're still needing to snack 18 days in it's likely the composition of your meals need some tweaking in order to get you through that 4-5hr window and allow your body to start tapping into it's fat stores for fuel.

[ladyshanny]

Note also that if you have IBS, that is a pretty major underlying condition that can cause internal injury that requires healing by the body. Your body may prioritize all healing and hormonal balance before releasing weight. You're barely half way, keep going.  

[saraip]

Hi @rootytooty

@jmcbn has been a real star and pointed out that I've been consuming too much starchy veg, I'm on Day 19 and my stomach is up and down (bloat & gas).  I'm still not feeling the Tiger Blood just yet.  However, I'm going to start replacing my pumpkin and squash with leafy greens today and see how it goes! 

Hope all goes well!  Keep us posted

 

[Jennio44]

On Day 14 and feeling a little bit "why am I doing this?" ... have some of the same questions as @rootytooty

I'm 48 and active, however, haven't been at a weight that I am happy with in several years. I want to lose 10 pounds. I know it's not a lot -- until you've been trying to lose the same 10 for three solid years. I work out at least three times a week (strength and cardio). Although I generally eat well, no fast food etc., and cook for myself a lot, I just have not been able to get my middle-aged body to cooperate. Sooooo ... heard about whole30 and decided to give it a try.

I'm halfway through, made it through Thanksgiving without a hiccup, but am questioning ... is this really working? Am I going to feel/look any different after a month of this? And can I incorporate this way of eating into my everyday life after it's over?

Help!! Need some advice from someone with experience.

[rootytooty]

Hi Jennio44- I feel your pain! I'm 45 and I'm pretty active.  A few years ago I started putting on a bit of weight.  Nothing major, but for someone who remained the same weight for a period of 20 years (minus pregnancies), it didn't sit well to see the scale going up while my portion sizes were going down.  I would consider myself a very healthy eater in general but nothing that I've done in my diet over the past few years has resulted in the loss of those few unwanted pounds.  I just made it through the whole 30 and am now re-introducing foods.  The good news is that I've isolated foods that irritate/trigger my IBS symptoms.  I felt great while on whole 30, but low and behold, I did not lose an ounce. I will definitely incorporate many of the lessons learned on Whole 30 to manage my IBS and to keep my blood sugar more constant throughout the day but for me, whole 30 is definitely not an effective weight loss strategy.

[Jennio44]

@rootytooty Thanks so much for the response. It helps to know that the outcome you describe is possible, too. I see all of these success stories from people losing weight, but I'm not feeling that I will be a part of that. Hopefully I will see other benefits! Thanks a lot!

[ShannonM816]

24 minutes ago, Jennio44 said:

On Day 14 and feeling a little bit "why am I doing this?" ... have some of the same questions as @rootytooty

I'm 48 and active, however, haven't been at a weight that I am happy with in several years. I want to lose 10 pounds. I know it's not a lot -- until you've been trying to lose the same 10 for three solid years. I work out at least three times a week (strength and cardio). Although I generally eat well, no fast food etc., and cook for myself a lot, I just have not been able to get my middle-aged body to cooperate. Sooooo ... heard about whole30 and decided to give it a try.

I'm halfway through, made it through Thanksgiving without a hiccup, but am questioning ... is this really working? Am I going to feel/look any different after a month of this? And can I incorporate this way of eating into my everyday life after it's over?

Help!! Need some advice from someone with experience.

In general, when someone is focused on losing that last 10 lbs or so, my question would be -- is it really the number on the scale that's important, or are you using that as a way to say, I wish I was more toned, that certain bits were less flabby, that I felt stronger, that my dresses looked nicer instead of highlighting any lumps & bumps you may feel you have? Because for most people, the thing that's important is less the number on the scale -- after all, you and your doctor are the only ones who will know what that is unless you go around telling people, Hi, I'm Jennio44 and I weight xxx pounds. For most people, if they really stop and think about it, it's more about the way they look and the way they feel. It is entirely possible to lose inches and be more toned and feel stronger and healthier and actually weigh more than you think you ought to, and be healthy. If you feel like you want to be more toned and have more muscle, maybe look at your workouts and make sure you're focusing enough time on strength training and that you're doing those exercises in the right way.

It's also entirely possible that if you feel like you are toned and you're strong and healthy already, that your body is happy with that extra 10 lbs and doesn't want to lose it. Those weight charts are not the be-all, end-all of determining health. Yes, some people need to lose weight to be healthy, but is that 10 lbs actually going to make a difference for you? It's also possible that even if you weighed 10 lbs less at some point in the past, that that weight is not necessarily healthy for you now. Our bodies change over time, and what was healthy at some point may not be now.

I'd suggest reading a few articles and blog posts that talk about focusing on things other than weight: this one, or this one, or this one, or this one. And check out this handy NSV (non-scale victory) checklist to give you some ideas about what to look for other than the number on the scale. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that many of the people who report huge weight losses during 30 days are probably making a really big change from how they were eating before. It sounds like you were already pretty healthy, so while Whole30 will help to make you even healthier, you may not see a big change in weight loss. You likely have less inflammation going on than someone who was eating burgers and fries often or going out for every meal did, and therefore just won't see as big a change.

[Jennio44]

Shannon: Thank you for all of your suggestions. You could be right -- and I hadn't really considered this -- that my body is happy where it is. I read all of the links you sent me to, and I am seriously considering getting rid of my scale altogether. Why do I care what the number is? What I really care about is feeling healthy and - just being honest - looking good in clothes I want to wear. I know now after the first two weeks of Whole30 that, although I miss my glass of wine, I'm also doing fine without it. I might want to eat pasta every now and then, but it isn't that important to me. I'm willing to give these things up if I feel that is helping me, but I'm not willing to give them up if they don't.  I'm sure all of this is a process ... and your suggestions will help me work through this. Thank you so much!