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Day 24 - Where is the energy?


MCM777

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So I'm on day 24. I can't believe I made it this far. I haven't experienced any of the side effects/detox at all, despite being a major junk food junkie. My real concern is that I also haven't felt ANY OF THE BENEFITS! I feel exactly the same as the day before I began my Whole30 journey. At first, I kept questioning myself, thinking I must be doing something wrong. But now, I know I've been compliant, and I just don't understand how nothing has changed. Tiger Blood?? Nope. Clearer skin? Nope (I never had bad skin though). Better sleep patterns? Nope.

Someone please help. Either tell me your similar story (misery loves company), or give me a pep talk to keep me going. I won't give up at this point, but I have to say I'm disappointed.<_<

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I did not experience the KAT phase. Is it possible that you eat well most of the time with just a few side excursions.

You know you're compliant and there's only 6 more days. You'll  stand on your head for 6 more days and power through. I don't know your climate or locale but these short January days can marsh the best of mellows. This is the time of year when we can catch ourselves between gung-ho and ho-hum.

Try some kombucha and fermented foods like kimchi. These really perk a person UP. Change your gut and you can change your life. Focus on gut health for the next week and see if things don't turn around for you. 

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Hello Misery, my name is Company.

I'm on day 30 and feel no different from before Whole30. I am so tired of those comments of "maybe it wasn't what you expected, but recognize all of the other benefits!" ... well, seriously, NO. BENEFITS. 

Nothing. Nada. Zilch. I have gone over the two whole pages of lists of NSV and can't say and of them are true beyond I tried like...two... new recipes. So not worth it. 

I've even posted on here and got zero responses or feedback on my habits, eating, and issues. 

I'm so over it and glad today is my last day. 

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Hellooo, LeeAnn. Are you outside rolling around in the snow. That's what I feel like doing. I don't know where you live either but this has been one of the harshest winters on record. I ain't seen the sun since November 15th.  It won't quit snowing and blowing.

Poke jmcbn, she'll take a look at your post. She will.

I poked her for you. She'll be coming around the mountain, shortly. 

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4 hours ago, MeadowLily said:

Hellooo, LeeAnn. Are you outside rolling around in the snow. That's what I feel like doing. I don't know where you live either but this has been one of the harshest winters on record. I ain't seen the sun since November 15th.  It won't quit snowing and blowing.

Poke jmcbn, she'll take a look at your post. She will.

I poked her for you. She'll be coming around the mountain, shortly. 

Nope. We've actually had one of our most mild winters I can remember. We've even hit 60 this past week. It's crazy. Wore a t-shirt! :o (which for how much I hate winter, that means a lot!)

I just can't seem to get over that I've been eating so clean for 30 days and don't feel ANY bit better. Shouldn't my body be responding in SOME way? I just finished day 30 (YAY!!!), and I'm super impressed with myself for simply doing this...but I don't see any benefits. I wanted to reset my body (weird data from biometric screenings not adding up to how I feel/body composition), but at this point, I would take more energy, better sleep, improved mood...something. 

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3 hours ago, LeeAnn2017 said:

Nope. We've actually had one of our most mild winters I can remember. We've even hit 60 this past week. It's crazy. Wore a t-shirt! :o (which for how much I hate winter, that means a lot!)

I just can't seem to get over that I've been eating so clean for 30 days and don't feel ANY bit better. Shouldn't my body be responding in SOME way? I just finished day 30 (YAY!!!), and I'm super impressed with myself for simply doing this...but I don't see any benefits. I wanted to reset my body (weird data from biometric screenings not adding up to how I feel/body composition), but at this point, I would take more energy, better sleep, improved mood...something. 

Great job, completing Day 30. When you wake up in the morning take some time to be proud of the fact that you finished strong. It's easier to talk about the good days than the cruddy days. But coming and sharing can help get the goals back into focus.

60 degrees. That's going to really confuse your trees, with the sap rising and falling. We know (my paleopeoples) that affects people more than they may realize. I'm racking my brain and wondering if it's not partially environmental.  Trees confused, biometric screenings off kilter. 

What's your strategy going forward?  

Just read your strategy on the other thread.  :)

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Today was an interesting day. I went through and replenished my pantry with all of the things I took out that weren't compliant. I did my post weigh-in (no weight lost), measurements (a half inch here and there, which is why I didn't notice anything...it was incredibly minor), and photos (small difference on my waist, but overall look the exact same...and I may be trying to see the improvements, hahaha). The weather is weird here for sure. 60 degrees a few days ago wearing t-shirts and today woke up to snow. I went out and got some Vitamin D and B to hopefully help if it is the time of year. 

I'm going on forward with reintroduction, but I'm only reintroducing things that I miss that are low FODMAP. Had a low FODMAP breakfast and still had digestive issues and gas, but feel okay after my peanut butter with 90% dark chocolate. So at least so far peanut butter is okay for me? I'm also adding back in a vitamin shake supplement after I double check the ingredients. I'm all out of ideas for breakfast that won't make me want to throw a tantrum in the morning so hopefully this will be an okay alternative for this short while. 

After a week of going low FODMAP, I'm going to re-evaluate. I'm quite nervous. I'm a fitness instructor so while I can dial it a little back in my classes, it's not like I can do some of the digestive cleanses that I've seen to help my gut move along the process. I'm nervous how I'm going to get energy since the energy sources are even more limited (did I mention I'm a picky eater? yay.). I don't even recognize many of the veggies on the YES list. :(

15 hours ago, MeadowLily said:

Great job, completing Day 30. When you wake up in the morning take some time to be proud of the fact that you finished strong. It's easier to talk about the good days than the cruddy days. But coming and sharing can help get the goals back into focus.

60 degrees. That's going to really confuse your trees, with the sap rising and falling. We know (my paleopeoples) that affects people more than they may realize. I'm racking my brain and wondering if it's not partially environmental.  Trees confused, biometric screenings off kilter. 

What's your strategy going forward?  

Just read your strategy on the other thread.  :)

 

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LeeAnn, have you tried fermented foods and kombucha before you go FODMAP bound. Prebiotics and probiotics. Bone broth and collagen peptides. 

Everyone knows that we are not medical doctors. Understood. 

There's new thinking about going full bore 10 foods or less.The narrower the eating... can actually bring on a bout with IBS. Yes, LeeAnn. Limiting oneself down to coconut oil, meat and few cukes or nukes, can throw you right into a loop of more stomach ailments. 

The narrow way of eating is not all it's cracked up to be.  The sickest man I ever knew ate only wild game cooked in bacon grease. His gut was a mess. No vegetables or fiber.  He ended up dying of stomach cancer. Broader eating trumps narrow eating all the way around.  He was true paleo and truly sick.

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I'm in the same boat, down to my last couple of days and haven't noticed any changes one way or the other. I know there's a school of thought that would say I'd see benefits by extending the program, but right now the devil on my shoulder is saying, why not Eat All the Things? I'll keep my focus on mindful eating while doing a partial reintroduction but continuing to eliminate suspected triggures.

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2 hours ago, TaleTrekker said:

I'm in the same boat, down to my last couple of days and haven't noticed any changes one way or the other. I know there's a school of thought that would say I'd see benefits by extending the program, but right now the devil on my shoulder is saying, why not Eat All the Things? I'll keep my focus on mindful eating while doing a partial reintroduction but continuing to eliminate suspected triggures.

@TaleTrekker - if you'd like we could take a look at your meals to see if perhaps they need some tweaking? You'd need to provide specifics on portion size, veg types, water intake, activity levels, pre-existing medical conditions, and any meds/supplements you are taking - that way we've got the full picture...

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On 27/01/2017 at 7:26 PM, LeeAnn2017 said:

I'm nervous how I'm going to get energy since the energy sources are even more limited (did I mention I'm a picky eater? yay.). I don't even recognize many of the veggies on the YES list.

Fat will provide your energy, and you'll replace muscle glycogen with the low FODMAP starchy veg like parsnips, turnips, white potatoes and carrots if you go down that route - it's definitely doable - you just have to think outside of the box.

I'd be wary of reintroing food items with multiple ingredients, such as a shake, before having reintro'ed the ingredients separately, but ultimately you get to decide how you proceed when the 30 days are up.

Let us know if you need any help.

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12 hours ago, jmcbn said:

Fat will provide your energy, and you'll replace muscle glycogen with the low FODMAP starchy veg like parsnips, turnips, white potatoes and carrots if you go down that route - it's definitely doable - you just have to think outside of the box.

I'd be wary of reintroing food items with multiple ingredients, such as a shake, before having reintro'ed the ingredients separately, but ultimately you get to decide how you proceed when the 30 days are up.

Let us know if you need any help.

Yeah. I nixed the shake idea. Otherwise am feeling better. 

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On 1/29/2017 at 5:21 AM, jmcbn said:

@TaleTrekker - if you'd like we could take a look at your meals to see if perhaps they need some tweaking? You'd need to provide specifics on portion size, veg types, water intake, activity levels, pre-existing medical conditions, and any meds/supplements you are taking - that way we've got the full picture...

This is where I get annoyed. Even if I'm eating too much (not sure that's even possible right now), there still should be SOME benefit to not eating sugar, grain, dairy, and alcohol, especially after a lifetime of junk intake! I know I need to exercise more, but even so... Day 29 is almost over and here I am, same as 29 days ago. I guess I just want to see those amazing benefits seen by so many others.

Thanks to everyone responding.

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8 minutes ago, MCM777 said:

This is where I get annoyed. Even if I'm eating too much (not sure that's even possible right now), there still should be SOME benefit to not eating sugar, grain, dairy, and alcohol, especially after a lifetime of junk intake! I know I need to exercise more, but even so... Day 29 is almost over and here I am, same as 29 days ago. I guess I just want to see those amazing benefits seen by so many others.

Thanks to everyone responding.

Did you ever get anyone to look at the composition of your meals? How is your sleep? Stress levels? Are you taking any meds, or have pre-existing medical conditions?

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I've followed the plan as strictly as possible, and have referenced my Whole30 book any time I have issues/questions. Also, my cousin is a true believer and fitness instructor, so she has been helping me along. I've never been a good sleeper. The first week of the plan, I was an insomniac, then second week I was narcoleptic. My energy levels have varied throughout the last 29 days. I don't notice any significant changes there, except that this week I seem to be dragging a little more than usual. I'm not particularly stressed out right now, no more than normal. I do take Zoloft to treat depression, as well as Yaz for birth control. But I've been taking these for years and they've never affected a diet/lifestyle change. I don't take other OTC meds, although I have been taking vitamin C and fish oil to keep my immunity up over the winter months. Other than controlled depression (I've dealt with this my whole life), I'm relatively healthy (apart from being overweight). Obesity is in my genes, on my father's side, if that means anything. Really, it just means that it's more difficult for me to drop weight without drastic measures (which I consider Whole30 to be). I definitely want to lose weight, but at this point, I'm more concerned with maintaining good health as I get older, to avoid diabetes and all the other awful possibilities that can come with age.

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Ok, so sleep (or lack thereof) has a much bigger impact on hormones than most people give it credit for. I'd definitely take steps to try improving your sleep - how's your sleep hygiene? Screens off an hour or so before bed? Dim lights after sunset? Black out blinds & no blue light in the bedroom? Bedroom cooler than the rest of the house? Do you keep a regular bedtime/wake up time? Spend regular time outdoors? Eat breakfast within an hour of wakening? Take a magnesium supplement?

In terms of food are you including at least a fist sized serving of starchy veg per day? Are you salting your food? How much protein are you eating per meal in relation to the size of your palm? How much fat are you including per meal, and what are they? Are you going the recommended 4-5hrs between meals?

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2 minutes ago, MCM777 said:

I will send a more detailed answer later, but for now, does anyone have any tips on cravings control during PMS? Mine is fierce.

Starch. Your body actually needs starch at this time of month. Increase the size of yor meals in general, but up the fat & the starch.

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On 1/31/2017 at 3:44 PM, jmcbn said:

Ok, so sleep (or lack thereof) has a much bigger impact on hormones than most people give it credit for. I'd definitely take steps to try improving your sleep - how's your sleep hygiene? Screens off an hour or so before bed? Dim lights after sunset? Black out blinds & no blue light in the bedroom? Bedroom cooler than the rest of the house? Do you keep a regular bedtime/wake up time? Spend regular time outdoors? Eat breakfast within an hour of wakening? Take a magnesium supplement?

In terms of food are you including at least a fist sized serving of starchy veg per day? Are you salting your food? How much protein are you eating per meal in relation to the size of your palm? How much fat are you including per meal, and what are they? Are you going the recommended 4-5hrs between meals?

I've gotten much better with my sleep habits over the last year or so. I used to keep the television on all night because my mind would just race and the background noise provided a distraction. Now, I sleep in a dark room with no tv. I have a cat, so sometimes he disrupts my sleep, but that's not an every night thing. I have a routine, as far as time goes; I make sure I'm in bed between 10-10:30pm and I wake up at 6am. I have to say that this week it's been easier getting out of bed in the morning. Possible benefit? I do not eat within an hour of waking because that is not possible with my schedule/commute. I eat around 9am every morning. I go for walks during my lunch hour, and I live in the city, so I'm basically walking all the time. I do not take a magnesium supplement. What does that help with?

My meals are basically as follows, with some adjustments, and not every day: 3-4 hard boiled eggs for breakfast, some days with compliant mayo; avocado with a little salt; piece of fish (tuna or salmon) with veggies, sometimes a potato; plaintain chips with guac or salsa; baked potato with ghee; occasional larabar if I'm pressed for time, or starving on the way home from work; I don't eat much fruit, if I do it's an apple or some berries, banana; I've made the compliant banana pumpkin custard a couple of times.

For the majority of the 30 days, I was unable to go 4-5 hours between meals without feeling like I would throw up from hunger. Now, 31 days later, I finally feel like I may have tweaked the meals just right so I'm not ravenous by the time a meal rolls around. Technically I'm done with the program, but I want to continue as long as possible, as closely and strictly as possible. I do think this is the best for my body right now, and yes, I always focus too much on weight loss. That being said, I would have loved to have lost some weight on this program.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions/comments/support. :)

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Ok, so eating within an hour of wakening is quite important as it helps stabilise cortisol levels, which in turn helps with melatonin production. If you can tweak your schedule in some way so that this is feasible it would be a big help. Magnesium acts as a kind of muscle relaxant, and since the brain is a muscle it can really aide with restful sleep. Much of the western world is magnesium deficient anyways as modern farming techniques deplete the soils of magnesium, so it certainly wouldn't do any harm adding in a supplement. Natural calm (original) is the popular one around here, but there are lots of different types and current research seems to point to a transdermal oil or spray being the most effective as it is absorbed so much more quickly. You could also think about adding in 10mins of meditation or breathing exercises before bed to help decompress...

Food wise your meals don't look too bad. There are certainly a couple of tweaks to be made (I'm looking at YOU larabars & banana pumpkin custard... *twitch*) but I don't think they're impacting your sleep, unless you're wakening hungry, or eating right before bed, which you don't appear to be. The fact that you've only just now got to a point where you can comfortably go those 4-5hrs would lead me to believe that with a little more time you might see a greater improvement all round.

Hope this helps.

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8 hours ago, jmcbn said:

Ok, so eating within an hour of wakening is quite important as it helps stabilise cortisol levels, which in turn helps with melatonin production. If you can tweak your schedule in some way so that this is feasible it would be a big help. Magnesium acts as a kind of muscle relaxant, and since the brain is a muscle it can really aide with restful sleep. Much of the western world is magnesium deficient anyways as modern farming techniques deplete the soils of magnesium, so it certainly wouldn't do any harm adding in a supplement. Natural calm (original) is the popular one around here, but there are lots of different types and current research seems to point to a transdermal oil or spray being the most effective as it is absorbed so much more quickly. You could also think about adding in 10mins of meditation or breathing exercises before bed to help decompress...

Food wise your meals don't look too bad. There are certainly a couple of tweaks to be made (I'm looking at YOU larabars & banana pumpkin custard... *twitch*) but I don't think they're impacting your sleep, unless you're wakening hungry, or eating right before bed, which you don't appear to be. The fact that you've only just now got to a point where you can comfortably go those 4-5hrs would lead me to believe that with a little more time you might see a greater improvement all round.

Hope this helps.

Thank you SO much for your input! I really appreciate any help. I know the Larabars are not great, but I've really only had them 3 or 4 times over the 30 day period. The banana custard thing was an experiment. Not so great anyway. :/ I will try to eat something on my way to work.

I do need to definitely incorporate more exercise into my routine, and I will give meditation a try. That, combined with the magnesium, should do the trick! Do I take the magnesium before bed?

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On 1/27/2017 at 2:26 PM, LeeAnn2017 said:

Today was an interesting day. I went through and replenished my pantry with all of the things I took out that weren't compliant. I did my post weigh-in (no weight lost), measurements (a half inch here and there, which is why I didn't notice anything...it was incredibly minor), and photos (small difference on my waist, but overall look the exact same...and I may be trying to see the improvements, hahaha). The weather is weird here for sure. 60 degrees a few days ago wearing t-shirts and today woke up to snow. I went out and got some Vitamin D and B to hopefully help if it is the time of year. 

I'm going on forward with reintroduction, but I'm only reintroducing things that I miss that are low FODMAP. Had a low FODMAP breakfast and still had digestive issues and gas, but feel okay after my peanut butter with 90% dark chocolate. So at least so far peanut butter is okay for me? I'm also adding back in a vitamin shake supplement after I double check the ingredients. I'm all out of ideas for breakfast that won't make me want to throw a tantrum in the morning so hopefully this will be an okay alternative for this short while. 

After a week of going low FODMAP, I'm going to re-evaluate. I'm quite nervous. I'm a fitness instructor so while I can dial it a little back in my classes, it's not like I can do some of the digestive cleanses that I've seen to help my gut move along the process. I'm nervous how I'm going to get energy since the energy sources are even more limited (did I mention I'm a picky eater? yay.). I don't even recognize many of the veggies on the YES list. :(

 

Are you pretty much a healthy eater/in shape? I'm  on Day 22 and not feeling any real great benefits either. However, I was a pretty clean eater (close to Paleo) before Whole30, and am in good shape (running, yoga, OrangeTheory). My husband, who is also doing Whole30 with me, feels great. My sense is that Whole30 doesn't really have any benefits for those of us that are already in shape and eating well (cutting out sugar, etc.). 

 

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