Finished Whole30 but...

[mhaynes96]

Hi everyone,

 

My husband and I just finished our first Whole30 yesterday.  We did our measurements last night - my husband is down 16 pounds and around 20 inches overall while I am down 3 pounds and around 7 inches overall.  I am a much smaller person than my husband, so I didn't expect a huge drop in my physical results.  Where I am much more frustrated with is that I did not have the earth shattering mental clarity and energy levels that everyone seems to talk about.

 

We were very compliant with our food, but probably did not get as much sleep as I needed to consistently. But even when I am able to get enough sleep several days in a row, I find that I am still so tired.  I've noticed a minor increase in focus in the mornings, which is helpful, but I supposed that I had been looking forward to getting rid of the mental fog that this minor improvement is disappointing.

 

Our plan is to continue to eat this way as much as possible - especially when we cook at home, but allow ourselves to be a little more lenient when we are out with friends, out of town or on vacation.  We will probably do another round of full Whole30 after the holidays.  

 

Anyone else experience this?  What are your thoughts?

 

By the way, this forum has been excellent in our progress throughout Whole30!  

[GFChris]

I did not experience this. My energy was pretty good going into my Whole30, and maybe got a notch better. I'm more eager to get up in the morning vs. stay in bed a bit longer.

 

Consistent 7-8 hours of sleep nightly definitely helps. Also, are you staying sufficiently hydrated?  You want to drink water in the equivalent of at least 1/2 your body weight in ounces, daily.

 

If you post a sample food log for 2-3 days from your Whole30, perhaps folks here can give you advice on what you might tweak that would help with your energy.

[mhaynes96]

Thanks for the response!

 

I was dehydrated over the weekend (days 26-28 of W30) - taking dance workshops will do that to ya!  I definitely felt the effects of that.  I do fairly well otherwise - always have my big glass of water next to me!

 

Here is my sample food log:

Breakfast: egg cup with prosciutto and veggies, sweet potato hash, or 1/2 avocado or handful of nuts

Lunch: 4-6 ounces of beef, pork or chicken, veggie curry (homemade, completely compliant) or roasted greens & squash, apple

Postworkout: HB egg, handful of nuts

Dinner: Basically the same as lunch, usually adding a handful of olives

 

Any suggestions are appreciated!

[GFChris]

Eat more. 

 

Egg serving is the number of eggs you can hold in one hand.

 

Have 1-2 c of vegetables per meal.

 

Increase protein to two palm sizes (let go of weighing food).

[mhaynes96]

I feel like I eat SO much!  This will take some more getting used to.  :-)

[MrsStick]

It does take some getting used to, but it's worth it. I rival my husband in eating quantities, and he's got 5" and at least 30 lbs on me. Tall and skinny, that one...

 

I know that in certain circles, especially competitive dance, eating less is seen as a good thing. I had a roommate for a year who had been a dancer for American Ballet Theater, and even though she'd quit, her eating was very...interesting. A brownie for dinner, or a can of green beans and nothing else. Heck, in high school, I'd eat as little as i could during the day, but by the time I had to go to bed after homework (7 honors/advanced placement/accelerated classes at once...ugh) I was so hungry while making my lunch for the next day I'd eat spoonfuls of peanut butter and jelly. I needed FOOD.

 

You are fueling your body for what you need it to do. It's easy to feel like a 'pig' in front of friends or competitors, but when you have energy and aren't riding the caffeine/sugar train to keep going, you'll feel better. I had a massive salad for lunch today while at the bowling alley with friends. They had chicken sandwiches and those lasted all of...not even 1/4 of my time to eat my salad. But the salad lasted me through my whole 2.5 hour physical therapy brutal session, and to my late dinner with only a handful of almonds to tide me over.

 

If you want your food to look like less, ditch the salads and stick with cooked veggies. They tend to cook down so you can feel a little less self-conscious about it.

[Tallulah Wolf-Angel]

I am on day 28 and still waiting for improvement in energy and sleep. But I have rheumatoid arthritis, and take some serious meds for it. I am on AIP, and I'm planning to take 90 days to complete my program, (except I'm going to try reintroducing ghee at 30 days, because life without butter is the pits!) Where I'm going with this in regards to you, mhaynes96, is that I see several things in your food log that would be noncompliant with AIP. Maybe you should try eliminating these, as perhaps you have sensitivities you are unaware of. The ones I see are: eggs, nightshades (peppers are nightshades, and AIP calls for no curry, even if the heat is from something other than a pepper), and nuts. AIP is harder, but if it gets you the improvements you are hoping for, it will be so worth it! See chapter 21 in ISWF for how to tailor the Whole30 to the AIP.

[mhaynes96]

Thanks, y'all.  Interesting about AIP - I hadn't even considered that since I've never had any major health issues.  I may look into that if things don't improve.  

[Bet]

It is very frustrating comparing diet results with a man. I remember years ago when my husband and I went on a 'diet' together. It seemed that all he had to do was cut out beer and would lose 10 lbs a week, while I would starve myself and not lose any.

 

I am also doing the AIP. I have hashis and also the markers for RA, but thankfully no severe symptoms. I have seen some improvement in my elbow pain already after 5 days.