Day 29 - disappointed

[CFDubbs]

Hi guys,

 

I stepped on the scale this morning, and am exactly the same weight I was when I started (5' 9", 149.6 lbs; I am usually around 140).  My waist went down an inch, but otherwise all my measurements are the same, and my clothes don't fit any differently.  I am also experiencing worse acne than I was before I started, and have fairly frequent digestive issues.  

 

I find this all very disappointing.  Where is the magic everyone is talking about?  I read the post, 6 Reasons Why the Whole30 Didn't Work (http://whole9life.com/2012/10/six-reasons-why-the-whole30-didnt-work-for-you/), and it may be that I'm one of those people for whom a "perfect paleo protocol" does nothing.  But that really sucks.  I've been following the program very closely--no slip ups or whatever--and getting between 7 and 8 hours of sleep a night.  I haven't been doing any formal exercise, but average about 10,000 steps a day (about 5 miles--walk to and from work, etc.).  I have always eaten fairly healthily, but not really paleo (ate sprouted grain toast and PB for breakfast, for example), and before I started this was drinking with great frequency and eating sugar every day.  How can it be that after a month with no sugar, no alcohol, no bread, and no cheese I have not changed size at all?  

 

I lead a pretty high-stress life (lawyer, moving cities, changing jobs, relationship stress, etc.), which may be the "lifestyle problem" they are talking about (but seriously, does that stuff make you fat for real?).  I stopped drinking coffee a couple of days ago which has significantly improved my sleep.  I am thinking about continuing this for another 2 weeks and seeing how it goes without coffee, with more exercise, and with less stress (going on vacation!).  Still, it's hard to motivate myself to be so rigorous about my diet when I'm not seeing benefits proportional to how much effort it takes.  

 

On the upside, my moods are fairly consistent, I have plenty of energy, and I haven't had any hypoglycemic attacks like I did before.  I also have really enjoyed NOT being hung over on the weekends and being productive and active.  So that's good.  But frankly, I wanted my acne to go away and I wanted to lose the 10 lbs I've gained in the past year.  Is that so much to ask?!

 

What would you do if you were me?  I kinda feel like throwing in the towel.  

 

 

[jillian]

Oh I hear you on this! I had some great benefits after my first Whole30 but I didn't see any improvement with my acne nor my waistline. I was very frustrated - so frustrated that the good stuff didn't trump the frustration. Can you share a few days of your meals? Including any snacks. Did you consume nuts throughout your Whole30? Eggs? I think this will help some of the moderators weigh in...

[msssjenna]

Yes I think stress has a lot to do with weight.  I am a mom to 3 young kids so I am stressed all the time.  Most days my anxiety is through the roof.  I am not blaming stress as to why I am 'fat', but I do feel it plays a large factor.

 

From your picture, I think you look great.  I am 5'3 and 145, obviously could loose a couple pounds.  I think you are a great weight for your height.  Unfortunately society can get the best of us, making us married to the scale.  You lost an inch in your waist - awesome!  I would give up on the scale, and focus on other things in life.  Trying to reduce your stress, making sure you are eating enough, getting lots of sleep, etc.  Unfortunately it wont take 30 days to lose 9 lbs.

[almcc]

Hi. I'm sorry you are frustrated. I think everyone is different. I had a lot (>50lbs) to lose. I did lose weight but I found that I had to go longer than 30 days to see the results I really needed - improved digestion and energy. It has taken several months to really really understand that this is not a diet. A week of really bad food choices that made me return to that pre-whole30 stressed, exhausted, grumpy person with horrid digestive issues helped me understand better. (I don't advocate that experiment for anyone. )

Don't give up.

[amberino21]

I think it would also be interesting to see a few days worth of meals, like jillian suggested.

I would be focusing on the positives:

"On the upside, my moods are fairly consistent, I have plenty of energy, and I haven't had any hypoglycemic attacks like I did before. I also have really enjoyed NOT being hung over on the weekends and being productive and active. So that's good."

That sounds like a lot of positive benefits to me! The whole 30 isn't designed to be a weight loss program, and there could be any number of reasons why your weight hasn't changed (although you waist got smaller...).

Skin conditions, IMO, would take a lot longer than 30 days to sort themselves out. Perhaps maintaining a similar lifestyle for an extended period will see your skin clear up - not having coffee may have a positive effect in this area. You could potentially have issues with certain fresh produce that causes reactions on your skin, this may require further exploration and experimentation.

[MissDivergent]

I also think that you are at a perfectly healthy weight for you height. Maybe your body has just leveled out and is satisfied with the weight you are at. Maybe 10lbs ago you were underweight? Just an idea.

[CFDubbs]

Thanks so much for all your responses.  

 

@Jenna, I think you are right that I need to stop thinking about the scale and about what weight I "should" be at.  It's very hard to do though!  Hearing your feedback helps me understand that it's a vanity thing more than anything else. 

 

@almcc thanks for the encouragement.  I want to keep going but was feeling very discouraged.  I think going back to my old ways will make me feel poorly too.  I had a cup of coffee yesterday after 5 days without and felt SO SICK.  Made me realize that these dietary changes have more effects than I thought.

 

@amberino, you're right, this whole time I've been saying, this isn't a weight loss program, it's a health choice you are making.  I guess I had been hoping that weight would magically disappear like it does for other people--didn't realize how much I was hoping for that until I got on the scale this morning and was so disappointed!  Maybe I need to read the post on ditching the scale again...

 

As for meals, I usually have 2-3 eggs every morning.  I was eating a couple of handfuls of cashews or macadamia nuts every day, but realized that might be a problem and have cut out nuts the past 3 or 4 days (an plan to continue nut-free for a couple of weeks to see if that helps).  But I would definitely supplement a meal here and there with nuts when I didn't feel "satisfied."  I also have a bad habit of lots of tasting while I'm cooking--may be consuming more there than I think.  For what it's worth, I wake up hungry every morning.  

 

Sunday:

M1: peppers, onions, and tomatoes sauteed in ghee + 2 fried eggs + 1/2 avocado/lime/cilantro relish

 

M2: 3 skinless boneless chicken thighs + steamed brussels sprouts, collards, and green beans (probs 2 cups of veg) + 2-3 Tbsp Moroccan dipping sauce from Well Fed + nectarine and a small plum

 

snack: 1/2 c. beef stew and a couple of bites of cooked ground beef while I was cooking, couple of bites of squash

 

M3: roast chicken drumstick, 1/2 breast + wing (with skin) + roasted Delicata squash (tossed in melted ghee before roasting) (maybe 1.5 cup) + kale sauteed in ghee 

 

Saturday:

M1: 3 egg omelette with onions and peppers, 1-2 Tbsp paleo pesto

 

M2: salad w/ prosciutto and olives and lots of veggies

 

Kombucha

 

M3: beef stew (beef, tomatoes, carrots, celery, onions) + cauliflower puree (steamed cauliflower with ghee and coconut milk + steamed green beans + nectarine

[Psirene]

For walking five miles a day, every day, plus high stress, that doesn't look like enough food. That looks like what I think *I* should be getting, being mostly sedentary and recovering from injuries. 

 

Maybe when you are up for another whole30, heck, even if you're not, trying eating more. Treat your walks like mini work outs, complete with mini-meals pre and post?

 

I know a lot of people run 10 miles at a time, but holy cats, that's beyond my comprehension. Five miles seems like a good chunk o' distance to me.

[Renee Lee]

I'd also echo the "ignore the scale" thing. I'd also guess that given your high stress lifestyle and the less than perfect sleep you reported, that most of the 10lbs you think you need to lose is in the midsection? (It's probably not 10lbs, either)

 

The closer that people get to their goal weights the more important lifestyle, stress and sleep become. It's good that you aren't doing exercise on TOP of all that other stuff, and it looks like you're taking the right steps to address it. Ditching coffee and getting better sleep? Awesome. 

 

Maybe try some yoga or meditation a couple times a week. Bubble baths? Any sort of down time that you can just let yourself relax is going to be great for you!

[Ruby]

You lost an INCH off your waist in a month! That's awesome. And, like amberino21 mentioned, you've accomplished some awesome things that may not be reflected physically.

 

Giving up caffeine was the best thing I ever did for my complexion. I'd be curious to see how a few weeks without coffee treats your acne. Nut don't do my face any favors either. So, between those two things I'd bet that you're on the right track.

[Revived]

I was also disappointed that I didn't see the results I was looking for after I finished my whole30 and basically went on a 3 month food binge which only set me back even further. Not that that's where you're at, but I finally decided that this is the right path and I can't give up when it's not happening in the time frame I want it to. There are other factors that I'm working against such as stress level that I need to account for. So my best advice is to stay with it.

I did read an interesting blog post from Everyday Paleo the other day. I'll try to find it again and link it. It was talking about fat loss and had a template to follow which was basically just do paleo for the first month and concentrate only on staying 100% on plan and only walking for exercise. And then the second month, cut out starches and fruit and add strength training. And then it had a few more things from there but I can't really remember. Anyway, I think I'm going to try that but I know for me, I've got to lose the all or nothing mindset. If I find that completely eliminating starches and fruit is not sustainable, then I'll need to find a balance rather than completely derailing and sabotaging myself which is what I always seem to do and obviously never gets me anywhere. Patience is the key word here.

I don't know if any of that helps you but at least you're not alone!

[Revived]

Here's the article. I really like Everyday Paleo. Lots of good stuff on there and they have really informative podcasts too.

http://everydaypaleo.com/fat-loss-template/

[CFDubbs]

@Revived: WOW - thanks so much!  This helps SO MUCH and makes me feel like I'm just on a longer journey than I previously thought, rather than someone for whom paleo eating just doesn't work.  I will take your advice and NOT embark on a "3 month food binge," although I was totally on the verge of something similar.  

 

The fat loss template you linked to makes total sense.  My Whole30 has been basically "Month 1" to a T: focus on eating perfectly paleo, walk, sleep.  That's about all I've done.  Now I'll cut back on starches and fruits and add in strength training and see what happens.  Sprinting sounds fun too.  

 

@Renee: I think I'll try to incorporate some meditation or other stress-reducing techniques as well.  I could certainly use it!  Cutting out coffee has been a revelation I could not have predicted, so maybe more are in store!

 

Thanks everyone for all the responses.  I feel much better now about continuing.

[jillian]

Yay!!!

[jent103]

(but seriously, does that stuff make you fat for real?).

 

I can't give you the entire sciencey explanation of it, but my body and my experience tells me that yes, yes it does! I could have written a lot of your post - I finished my first Whole30 just before Labor Day, and though I felt good and want to keep eating this way, I didn't lose much weight, am still wearing the same clothes, etc, etc. (I got rid of my scale awhile ago so I have no idea if I lost any pounds, but my measurements were basically the same.) I have a naturally type A, high-stress personality, am bad about getting enough sleep, and (not coincidentally) have carried extra weight around my midsection most of my life. (My dad is the exact same way, and looks it.) I'm also heading into a pretty high stress period. My plan is to keep eating well, focus on yoga and sleep, and try to relax as much as I can. It's going to take me more than 30 days to calm my body down. I hope we both do well!

[Mom2A&M]

I was also disappointed that I didn't see the results I was looking for after I finished my whole30 and basically went on a 3 month food binge which only set me back even further. Not that that's where you're at, but I finally decided that this is the right path and I can't give up when it's not happening in the time frame I want it to. There are other factors that I'm working against such as stress level that I need to account for. So my best advice is to stay with it.

I did read an interesting blog post from Everyday Paleo the other day. I'll try to find it again and link it. It was talking about fat loss and had a template to follow which was basically just do paleo for the first month and concentrate only on staying 100% on plan and only walking for exercise. And then the second month, cut out starches and fruit and add strength training. And then it had a few more things from there but I can't really remember. Anyway, I think I'm going to try that but I know for me, I've got to lose the all or nothing mindset. If I find that completely eliminating starches and fruit is not sustainable, then I'll need to find a balance rather than completely derailing and sabotaging myself which is what I always seem to do and obviously never gets me anywhere. Patience is the key word here.

I don't know if any of that helps you but at least you're not alone!

Wow, this is exactly what I did too! I binged and gained 20lbs in 4 months, it was awful and I felt awful too. The disappointment after my first W30 is nothing compared to the disappointment in myself for how I treated myself in those following months. I am now on day 21 of my second W30 and am trying to trust the process. I'm not feeling the tiger blood, my digestion is still wacky and my clothes still don't fit. But, I now know where I stand if I give up and I do not want to go there. I also loved this article, thanks for sharing.