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Day 15 - Only feeling more tired!


nole10

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So I'm now on Day 15 of my first Whole30, and am still waiting for that big energy lift to come. Fatigue was my main reason for starting the Whole30, but I'm more tired than ever. It's not long after dinner that I'm ready to crash. I've put in the time to get 8-9 hours of sleep each night, but I have been turning and tossing a lot more than usual as well.

So is it normal to feel this tired this late in the game? I've been very diligent about buying great quality protein, fats, and veggies. And I try to eat a good amount of starchy vegetables. I'm just wondering why the switch hasn't been turned on yet.

Another side question. I've read on other paleo sites about being in ketosis. "It Starts With Food" spoke some about being "fat adapted", but I don't remember much talk about ketosis. Would being fat adapted be considered the same thing as ketosis or is it something I should avoid?

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Hold on. I did not start sleeping good until two weeks into my Whole30. Your improvements may be just days away. On the other hand, your experience may take longer to improve, but you are on the right track.

We do become fat adapted doing a Whole30 and that does mean our bodies are in ketosis, but there is a lot of baggage associated with the language of ketosis that is not part of a Whole30. Ketosis as a topic goes along with counting carb calories and measuring ketone bodies through urine test strips, none of which is okay during a Whole30. The Whole30 is not about measuring things so that you fit into a defined category. Instead, the Whole30 is about eating fresh, real, whole foods and listening to your body to notice when you are full or need to eat more.

The Whole30 is not designed to be a low-carb diet although removing grains, dairy, added sugars, and alcohol does reduce most participants carb intake significantly. The Whole30 encourages you to eat as many carbs like sweet potato, butternut squash, etc. as needed to maintain energy levels, so you might do a low, moderate, or high carb Whole30 depending upon your needs.

There is a good article about ketosis and its relationship to low carb eating at http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/faq/f/whatisketosis.htm

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I am interested in this as well....Day 16 for me and I'm tired as well and not sleeping great (am normally a great sleeper). What I am curious about is the timing of sweet potato/squash....I usually have this with my evening meal....would it help to have this with breakfast instead for more sustained energy?

I am experiencing other benefits so it is certainly worth doing Whole30, but not having energy is certainly no fun. We gotta keep on going, maybe we just have more issues going on inside that need healing and it just takes longer....like they say, its not like you can expect perfection after only 2 weeks.......we hear so many good stories about this and all of our bodies are different and need different lengths of healing.

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I was going to ask this same question! I'm day 17 today. Sleep was not an issue for me pre-whole30 I regularly had 7-8 hours of quality sleep. Right now I'm in bed that long, but waking up, tossing and turning and last night even had some pretty terrible nightmares. My quality of sleep is way down right now and accordingly my level of energy is too.

Gosh, I hope this part ends soon!

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First things first, halfway in is NOT late in the game. You're only just entering the second half of the game. Patience....

Secondly, I would play around with your carbohydrate timing. If you're working out right before dinner, then yeah, have your sweet potatoes with your pwo or dinner meal. If not, though, try moving them back to lunchtime. Also, if you drink caffeinated beverages, try cutting out all caffeine after 12pm. For some folks, caffeine can be disruptive to sleep even that long before bed. And, play around with food timing before bed. If you are eating right before bed (within an hour or two) stop for a few days and see if that helps. If you aren't, try having a fat and protein snack an hour or two before bed and see if that helps.

Thirdly, remember that your hormones are changing significantly and no hormone system works in isolation. They all effect each other, so what is changing with your food-related hormones could be affecting your sleep-related hormones. Give things a chance to work out.

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Also - what is your stress level? That can affect sleep greatly for me as well. We have started sleeping with a sound/noise machine to mask the noises our cats make that would wake us up. That improved our sleep so much that we now have apps on our phones to use when we travel.

Give it some more time. You may also want to consider journaling your food and note how your sleep was (I usually note it the morning after - on my food log). Then you can start to recognize and identify patterns to narrow down what's going on.

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Thanks so much for the help everyone. I actually have good news to report. Last night I felt a pretty significant energy boost after dinner. I added a banana which may have helped, but overall I think my body is just adapting.

My sleep was much better last night, only woke up once during the night. Robin I think you are right about the hormones changing, I am feeling much more balanced today. And desidou I also use a sound machine when I sleep, that white noise really helps me drift off!

Tom thanks for encouraging us to hold on when its tough, I now feel that the worst is over. I have also been taking lots of coconut oil for the past couple of days, pretty much at every meal. That may have helped me get over the hump quicker as it supposed to help you become fat adapted.

And for those who are still tired and trying to get over the hump, don't give up!! As Tom stated the changes are likely only days away.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I found the forums about a week ago (when I was around day 15) and was especially happy to find the posts about lack of energy. More energy was one of my hoped for results and instead I felt exhausted and grumpy most of the time. I have since started eating sweet potatoes once or twice a day and feel somewhat better. However, I am still feeling in need of encouragement.

While I don't feel sleepy I am still definitely lacking in energy (and very grumpy). I am sleeping well (getting good sleep is seldom an issue for me) and have been getting between 8-10 hours almost everynight for my whole30 (I have made going to bed early a priority). I have also worked to reduce stress as much as possible - removed travel this month, chose a time when work was less demanding.

While I wasn't expecting immediate results I was hoping by now (day 22) that I would be experiencing some of my hoped for results - better energy, more even moods, clearer head and clearer skin.

Eating Paleo is new to me and there have been some positive results. I don't miss any of the foods and haven't had many cravings. I find myself very satisfied after meals and don't snack in between. I have probably lost about 5 pounds so far (I don't want them back but losing weight wasn't a primary reason for trying whole30). I believe that I wasn't eating enough fat before and am getting used to what seems like a LOT of meat. As is probably typical on any change in diet, I feel that food is a bigger part of my life than before because I have to do more planning and thinking about what I am going to eat and make sure it is compliant.

However, I feel like I had significantly more energy before I started the whole30 and...more patience. I am beginning to think about deviating from the food plan in search of a better mood. My family is likely thinking this is a pretty good idea too!

It has only been in the last week that I have been able to exercise again (did I mention I was REALLY tired for the first two weeks?) and was hoping that once I started running again my mood would lift. I'm able to complete my mileage if I go slowly enough but no mood boost.

I have been very rigorous about making sure I am eating according to ISWF, including a lot of variety. I have added Natural Calm and probiotics to try and help with digestive issues (gas and constipation) - the issues remain.

With about a week to go I am unlikely to go off plan (too stubborn) before my whole 30 is up but I feel like the answer is likely to be 'you might need more than 30 days' and I am feeling down about the prospect of feeling down and tired even longer.

Typical day of food

Meal 1: 3 egg scramble with mixed veggies

Meal 2: chicken with kale salad, sweet potatoe (half a big one or whole smaller one)

Meal 3: Salmon, sweet potatoe, green beans, handful of cashews

I'd love to hear from folks that felt like their last week they started feeling better :-).

As I write this I wonder if maybe I should add more fruit...

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I think Tom's summary is awesome:

"The Whole30 encourages you to eat as many carbs like sweet potato, butternut squash, etc. as needed to maintain energy levels, so you might do a low, moderate, or high carb Whole30 depending upon your needs".

I'm definitely a high carber...otherwise I have no energy, no sex drive, and I'm very irritable...basically I'm a total B**ch and my elimination slows/stops which makes it worse! Find what works for you :)

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I'm with Flynn on this one - up your carbs and fat just a bit more. And, as crappy as it is to think you need to add more time, the results are worth it in the end. Now, that's not to say you have to stay strictly compliant after your 30 days, but the closer you stick to the plan the better you'll feel (and faster).

Keep your chin up, things will turn around soon!

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Thanks very much for the encouragement - just reading Robin's advice that I could keep on going with the whole30 (beyond my 30 days) without necessarily being 100% compliant helped to get rid of the disappointment that I wasn't feeling the magic yet.

Having said that I am also happy to report that yesterday (Day 26) I began feeling much better. I am back to energy levels similiar to what I had before I started and for at least 2 days have been less grouchy. There are still some issues that I think should improve and perhaps in these last few days they will!!

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I'm the same. I had good energy levels before and slept well (but ate too often and always felt antsy). At day 26 I am just starting to get the good sleep and return of energy back. I will keep going till Xmas. To be honest the only thing I think of having regularly and then have to tell myself no because it's not whole30 is a hot drink of pure organic cocoa made with water. So I will add that back in on day31 :)

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Glad to hear exhaustion is not new, I was feeling good but now, day 9, just exhausted! I think I slept good last night, in a hotel so that is not the best, got up and ran three miles this morning and have been in work. Just so tired though. Been eating squash or sweet potatoes quite regularly. Perhaps it has to also do with travel. Right after I left the house, my son was diagnosed with strep so wondering if my body might be fighting something as well.

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I'm the same. I had good energy levels before and slept well (but ate too often and always felt antsy). At day 26 I am just starting to get the good sleep and return of energy back. I will keep going till Xmas. To be honest the only thing I think of having regularly and then have to tell myself no because it's not whole30 is a hot drink of pure organic cocoa made with water. So I will add that back in on day31 :)

You could always go with a nice mug of broth. Super cozy/comforting...just as good as hot chocolate, unless you're LOOKING for the sugar :)

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  • 10 months later...

i am on day 26 & feel just as bad as i did when i started. i did EVERYTHING right & never cheated once. i lost 10 lbs but that is the only difference i can say i saw. i have headaches & today my fatigue is unreal. i have a headache. plus ringing in my ears.

 

i just wish i knew what i was doing wrong. i do have rheumatoid arthritis & lupus so of course the majority of my fatigue comes from that. but i have read these success stories about how people went into remission because of the whole30. i want to be one of those stories! 

 

i did not take a probiotic during this diet so maybe i need to start over & do that. i just wish i could pinpoint why i feel just as awful as i did before i started. every day i feel like i was out all night drinking, unfortunately i did nothing nearly as fun to feel this way.

 

 

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I am on Day 18 and I am feeling great! (Not to brag but to give hope)

 

Finally had a break in the cravings. Man! That was rough for me.  I mean they were coming at me from every side.  I have great energy now and am not tired in the afternoon like I was pre Whole 30.  I sleep well but not completely every night yet.  It is a more restful sleep though, I toss very little now.   The good sleep started about five days ago.  I am certain that it will continue to get better.  I think it may take more time to kick in for you.  Maybe you are sleeping but not resting yet? 

 

I hope your energy picks up soon!  

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mpizzani - if you have lupus and RA, your body might need more than 30 days. If you read a lot of the success stories, many of them involve going over 30 days. Given your autoimmune diseases, did you do the autoimmune protocol? That might help.

 

Otherwise, give it time, and stay the course. 30 days is an average!

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  • 4 months later...

Thank you SO MUCH for the encouragement.  I'm on day 18 and so so tired, not sleeping particularly well and am having hot flashes and nightsweats--something hormonal going on for sure--and I'm way past menopause.  I was about to give it up, but I'll keep on keepin' on.  First thing I'll do is buy more sweet potatoes and butternut squash--perhaps that will boost my energy.  Ellen

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  • 1 year later...

Day 18 and I feel horrible. I guess finding this topic and the responses makes me feel better, but I want my energy back. I felt pretty good up through Day 12, and then I crashed. I sleep well, and get 8 hours, but my waking hours are torture with fatigue and exhaustion. I've been compliant...no issues there. I am traveling this weekend, and concerned about my energy levels. I will finish, but I am feeling horrible.

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Day 18 and I feel horrible. I guess finding this topic and the responses makes me feel better, but I want my energy back. I felt pretty good up through Day 12, and then I crashed. I sleep well, and get 8 hours, but my waking hours are torture with fatigue and exhaustion. I've been compliant...no issues there. I am traveling this weekend, and concerned about my energy levels. I will finish, but I am feeling horrible.

 

Can you post 2-3 days worth of your log, so we can give you specific feedback on possible tweaks?  Include meals (including any pre/post workout meals), portion sizes, water consumption and exercise. 

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Monday bkfst: kale, eggs, perfect chicken sausage

Monday lunch: roasted chicken, cauliflower mash

Monday dinner: steak, asparagus, avocado

Tuesday bkfst: eggs (this is an anomaly, I usually have veggies and meat too)

Tuesday lunch: protein salad on bed of spinach, unsweetened applesauce

Tuesday dinner: ground beef, spaghetti sauce, perfect tomato sauce

Wed bkfst: leftover squash/beef/tomato sauce with eggs

Wed lunch: steak, green beans, Greek salad dressing

Wed dinner: butternut squash soup, eggs, perfect pork sausage

Thur bkfst: leftover squash/beef/tomato sauce

Thur lunch: protein salad on bed of spinach, apple

Thur dinner: salmon cakes, zucchini fritters, red pepper mayo

Sometimes I have cashews or pistachios in the afternoon, but my hunger has leveled off, so I don't really need them anymore.

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First, jleighty, your profile picture is awesome!

 

Second, it is hard to tell quantities from what you posted so I just wonder if you are eating enough?  

 

You could probably use a bit more veggies and it's hard to tell what you are using for fat and how much.  The soup meal, the spaghetti sauce meal and the breakfasts don't indicate an added fat.  

 

How much water are you getting?  Do you regularly exercise? If so, do you give yourself a pre and post workout meal? 

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  • 1 year later...
On ‎8‎/‎20‎/‎2015 at 10:04 AM, GFChris said:

 

On ‎8‎/‎20‎/‎2015 at 9:46 AM, jleighty said:

Day 18 and I feel horrible. I guess finding this topic and the responses makes me feel better, but I want my energy back. I felt pretty good up through Day 12, and then I crashed. I sleep well, and get 8 hours, but my waking hours are torture with fatigue and exhaustion. I've been compliant...no issues there. I am traveling this weekend, and concerned about my energy levels. I will finish, but I am feeling horrible.

Can you post 2-3 days worth of your log, so we can give you specific feedback on possible tweaks?  Include meals (including any pre/post workout meals), portion sizes, water consumption and exercise. 

Found this thread upon Googling to see why I might be so tired this week.  Today is day 19 and I'm more tired than I usually am by the end of the week.  Up through last week I was feeling good, but starting this week I'm more tired and exhausted.  I expected to feel even better and have more energy at this point, but I'm instead more tired and exhausted, having minor headaches which I was SO RELIEVED TO NOT HAVE and attributed that to no more sugar, but now they're back, and I'm still pretty grumpy...never really had any of those side effects in the first week though--like headaches, kill all the things, or needing to nap.

Food has looked like this:

Day 18: 2 eggs, spinach and kale and mixed peppers in olive oil tossed with breakfast sausage with guacamole.  Apple slices.  Coconut milk.  A couple bites of a Whole30 compliant cocoa, coconut, and mixed nuts bar that I made to take in to work for food day (had to taste test!)  Kale, spinach, arugala, butternut squash, chicken breast, and 1/2 avocado with Tessemae's dressing.  2 HB eggs before Jazzercise.  I was too tired to stay awake to eat dinner yesterday.  I slept up until I had to leave for Jazzercise, was tired the whole workout and came home and slept from 8:30 until 5 when I woke up.  About 80 oz of water.

Day 17: Hardboiled egg, 2 eggs, spinach, kale, mixed peppers in olive oil mixed w/ breakfast sausage with guacamole.  Coffee w/ coconut milk.  Kale, spinach, arugala, butternut squash, chicken breast, and 1/2 avocado with Tessemae's ranch dressing.  Hardboiled egg before Jazzercise.  Pork roast, in chicken broth, sweet potatoes, and apples for dinner.  A couple very! small bites of the (compliant) cocoa and coconut and mixed nut bars I made for work.  About 80 oz of water

Day 16: 2 eggs, spinach, kale, mixed peppers in olive oil mixed w/ breakfast sausage with guacamole.  Coffee w/ coconut milk.  Kale, spinach, arugala, butternut squash, chicken breast, and 1/2 avocado w/ Tessemae's ranch.  Steak, egg in olive oil, baked potato w Tessemae's ranch.  Probably 80ish oz of water.  Went to bed late bc the NBA Finals were on and my city was in it.

Day 15: 2 eggs, spinach, kale, mixed peppers in olive oil mixed w/ breakfast sausage with guacamole.  No lunch, was tired and fell asleep and didn't wake up till a few hours before dinner which I eat around 7 every day.  Dinner was chicken, green beans, carrots stir fry over cauliflower rice. (all compliant, from the Whole30 recipes.)

My schedule looks like this: wake at 5, work 6:30-5, come home.  If I have jazzercise I have that at either 5:30 or 6:30.  if I don't work out, I tidy up around the apt and prep for the next day.  Eat dinner at 7.  Bed by 10:30 or 11.  Do it all over again.

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