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Yeah, this kinda sucks


Denny.Orr

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All,

I committed to this a couple of days ago (I'm wrapping up day two) and while I was eating *kinda* clean before, I am absolutely surgical now. I'm eating, and I'm not equivocating, rationalizing, or faking - perhaps for the first time in my life. And it sucks.

I've not done drugs. I had a short stint with cigarettes, but it didn't take (no addiction). I drink occasionally, but my young children have curtailed that (lack of time!). Suffice it to say, I have no addictions.

WRONG.

Holy crap this is hard. Briefly setting the stage, I'm deployed in support of the US Army. The dining facility has some great choices available - and I applaud them for it. But they have just as much crap, and are more than willing to push it upon you. I can feel the pull of sugar on a cellular level. And please, please don't get me started on the bread. I'm a bread guy. I come from a long line of bread people (it explains soooo much). And I am in the land of reallllllly good bread. I have long yearned for this type of access to this smorgasboard of carbohydrates. And now that I have forsworn them as my enemy, they are everywhere I turn.

But on a slightly more serious point, my body doesn't like this. I know that an engine works better with better fuel, but the period where the new fuel is burning out the old, crappy fuel - well, it sucks. I am devoid of all energy. I've been working out five days out of seven (good workouts, not just lip service) for the past 6 weeks. I've lost twenty pounds. I have started to crave a good sweat. Today: no energy. I could barely keep myself awake. I was really thankful for my dark glasses today, because I nodded off when someone was talking to me in the car.

Tell me it gets better. Tell me that I'll wake up tomorrow and everything will be great. I know it won't, but lie to me regardless. I'm committed to this, but this detox phase, well, it just kinda sucks.

Thanks for sticking with me through my rant. I'm not always this needy.

Denny

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It gets better! Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but you WILL snap out of it. You will be okay!!

Also, don't stress out about not having the energy to workout right now. It's fine. You won't gain that 20 lbs back in 30 days eating paleo. Lift some weights if you can, when you can. It'll work out.

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Hi Denny, welcome and thanks for your post!

I agree, it does suck - at first. Especially being deployed, I can only imagine how hard that must be to be under stress of the job, away from home, around all the junk food... I don't have much advice to offer, except that to give it time with the cravings. I'm on day 6 and 2 days ago, I nearly killed myself getting through the workday without eating any of the jelly beans in the office kitchen. I just kept telling myself, if I eat those jelly beans, I will totally regret it because then I can't say I really followed the diet. And then I would have to start over. I was able to resist the jelly beans and since then, my cravings have drastically declined.

I know it is so, so hard when that stuff is staring you right in the face. But if you can make it a little bit longer, you will find that resistance gets way easier.

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Oh my gosh, hang in there! You really will see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it does take a little time. Really, don't throw in the towel after only a few days or even 10 or so. Go the whole 30 because you really will feel better.

I know it sucks and I can't imagine having the kind of temptation you have going on (well, I guess I can a little - I have a freaking McDonald's right by my house). It sucked very much for me. It took me two weeks before I stopped feeling like I couldn't live or be happy without sugar. But, it does get better!

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The first week is so hard! I was a mess on Day 3-4...I just wanted to curl in a ball, and like you, I thought I was eating pretty well. It does get better. Take it easy on yourself during this first week. You are going through a lot of changes and your body feels it.

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Ok, today sucks a bit less. But as Chris Farley said a long time ago, the degree that it is less is "kinda like throwing a lawn chair off the Queen Mary."

Now that I have the obligatory funny guy stuff out of the way, I have to say that I am touched by the rapid and heart-felt responses of the members of this forum. I am touched and my will has been redoubled by your words. Thank you.

Dang, I'm hungry! ;-) Take care.

Denny

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Oh Denny, how I love your post! A fellow bread-commiserator!

Congrats on the 20 lbs, and good on you for not phoning in the workouts. It will not be like this forever (she said hopefully), the energy WILL go up, the cravings WILL go down. When has anything ever stayed the same in life? This is temporary.

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Like everyone else I urge you to hang in there. IT WILL get better and you will be amazed. I am still amazed sometimes that I'm actually not hungry. I don't recall a day in my life when I wasn't starving all of the time before I started eating Paleo/primal. Also remember how long you WEREN'T eating this way, sometimes it takes a while for your body to adjust so don't get frustrated.

Most of all, I applaud you for taking this on under challenging circumstances. Have a great day!!

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Denny,

Thank you for your service.

I felt like crap for the first several days, no exercise, total apathy towards everyone and everything... my first workouts were short, pathetic little things. My trainer flat out laughed at me, but it does get better! And that bread is not worth the gut bomb it will create. Keep up the good work!

Now...about my lawn chair....

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Ok, so again, you guys rock.

I figure that since people keep reading the post, I'll just continue the string until people stop reading... Deal?

So. Who here knew when you started this how badly they were entrenched in the "lifestyle" of crappy eating? I mean, I got it: we all eat (ate) badly, and I knew that (as *clearly* identified earlier) this would suck, but the chemical experiment going on inside my body has been on a WHOLE new level. Let's catch up, shall we?

Day two: rode a wave of inspiration (as noted above) all the way to the end. Actually convinced myself to run and workout. It was pathetic, but I did it nonetheless. Slept well.

Day three: (and this is where it gets weird) Had energy waves - both positive and negative. Ended up taking a nap in the middle of the day (REALLY flexible work schedule: see deployment). Finished my work day in a funk that nosedived into a freaky, emo-type rapid-onset depression. I mean, it was crazy and uncontrollable. I don't know what chemicals/hormones my body tripped into, but holy crap! I wouldn't wish that on anybody.

Day four: Woke up 10 hours later. Funk removed, oddly optimistic about the day. Body still feels weird, but I am sensing a change (psychosomatic? just plain psycho? wait and see!). The only really weird thing (aside from rising energy levels - slight rise, but anything is better than the zombie level from earlier) is that from time to time, my balance was off. I can only attribute that to my blood-sugar rebalancing(?).

Ok, you made it this far. I'm doing this for myself. I'm doing this for my wife, and my kids, and the ability to function with them for the long-term. But the support that I'm getting from like-minded people is amazing. If not a single person responds from here on out, I'll still be in the positive on good vibes. If there is anything that I can do, any words of encouragement that I can offer from the same foxhole, please don't hesitate to call on me.

And just so no one thinks I've gone soft, this still sucks.

Denny

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Hi Denny!

You are a great writer because I can totally feel your pain via your words. My husband is in the military too and he is on day 11 of this program along with me. He thinks that it sucks as well, but he's hanging in there. I'm glad to hear that the dining facility is providing some good choices. Anyhow, keep the comical posts coming...that way the laughter can keep us from crying ;P.

-TiJa-

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Hi Denny!

I feel your pain - on a very similar level! Currently deployed with you to the land of amazing bread with the Australian Navy - lucky for me my temptations with bread are only on the odd occasion when we have a port visit, but it is still soooo difficult! YES IT DOES SUCK!!! I completed my first Whole30 the day we deployed from Oz, only had one port visit to contend with in that time and managed to hold on.. Now though, 2 months in, im trying to stay Whole30 compliant as much as possible but due to crazy hours (watchkeeping 7hrs on 5 off etc) i only have snack food to get me through the night - i'm eating all the right foods (aside from a fruit and nut addiction i just cant seem to shake) but my calorie consumption is all out of wack as well as my sleeping.. Lunch is the only meal i have, and I just cant figure out a way to time my meals right and how many calories to eat.. aside from what gym time i get, my job is pretty sedentary so i dont move around much.. plus the cooks do the best they can but im often not left with many options of appropriate foods to eat.. I work out twice a day (crossfit/metcon one session then cardio the next) before i go on watch each time but ive stopped seeing results on the scales.. initially i did ok but ive hit a real tough spot! Drives me a little crazy! I spend hours on this forum hoping to find someone else in my unique situation so i'm so glad i found your post.

In saying that - you WILL feel better! i know ive done nothing but be a little negative about my experience so far but hey it is 4am..

now for the positive - when Im awake i am AWAKE! i feel fantastic.. regardless of what sleep i get, i wake up full of energy. I have the motivation to work out twice a day.. I have no desire whatsoever to eat bread, as amazing as it is over here.. my skin is clear, only bloating is when i eat too much fruit and nut mix but I know how to manage that.. I recover from every workout within less than 12 hours, ready for the next one! i get so many comments on how fit and healthy and lean i am looking - makes my day every time.

You'll get there Denny, we are all behind you

Sarah

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Wow Sarah, you have a lot of meal timing issues to contend with, why not write a sepearte post & see if Melissa and Dallas can offer some advice. I admire your tenacity & dedication in the face of all that!

Hope you are feeling good today Denny

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Wow! The response to my uncharacteristically needy and/or whiny post has been amazing! Not only have I gotten unbelievably uplifting (and commiserating!) responses, I've gotten a TON of traffic. At this point, the post is considered a HOT topic, something that was not associated with me since a really dark period from high school (sorry - mall humor!). And while the numbers are flattering, I am starting to wonder about the viability of the string. Follow me...

Number one, it doesn't suck as bad as it did long, so very, very long ago (I'm finishing day 4, lol). I still have monster cravings, and I still feel like a fifth-grade science project gone awry from time to time, but I do feel better. I actually ran AND worked out tonight - and I actually had the juice to push some kinda heavy things around. I'm not back to hulk status (yeah, like I ever really was), but I'm moving forward, not backwards or even stagnant. Progress is good.

Number two, and most important to the greater good that we are traveling towards, I don't want my humor (and damn, I'm funny!) to deter the progress of newbies.​ If I had read my post on day one, I might have chucked it all and moved towards something slightly easier, like naked flaming sword juggling. As stated in #1, this string is getting eyeballs, and I don't want that to be a negative.

So, (insert witty banter here - after three re-writes, my banter just sucked). I will try my hand at another, slightly more uplifting (hopefully at least equally entertaining) post elsewhere on the forum.

Sincerely, thanks again for the support!

Denny

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LOL...You have me cracking up again! Ok so I think you should keep this thread going. What you may have initially intended to be negative and whiny has actually become an encouraging, as well as hilarious, read. All the positive "hang in there" responses you have received will surely help plenty of folks. Not to mention the fact that even though "this kinda sucks" as you so eloquently stated, you are still here moving forward!

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  • 2 years later...

I'm done with my whole30 but following this thread because it's just so fun to read! The thing is Denny nobody had the guts to say it sucked....but it's just what everyone was thinking! love your writing. Your the most popular guy on the Whole30 block! You should consider blogging your experience.

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