Sleepy still after 28days

[Mom2A&M]

I am on day 28 and still so sleepy in the afternoons. Also still hard to get out of bed in the am... heres my food for the last two days. I take fish oil (1tsp), vit D (varies but 2000-4000iu), NOW super enzymes (two with each meal) and just added HCL (one with each meal).

Yesterday

M1

2applegate chicken sausages

Sautéed spinach in coconut oil-about a handful

Fried sweet potato in coconut oil and topped with cinnamon-about a handful

2oz unsweetened coconut keifer

Green tea

M2

1/2 lb grass fed hamburger topped with homemade mayo, mustard, raw sauerkraut and pickle

Sautéed zucchini in EVOL- about a handful

Sautéed sw. potatoe in coconut oil and cinnamon- about a handful

A spoonful,of coconut butter and 1/2 banana ( just finished co butter, thank goodness!)

M3

Roasted chicken and sautéed zucchini smothered in EVOO (prob about 5oz chicken and two handfuls of zucchini)

Today

M1

2 muffin sized meatloafs made with spinach topped with sauerkraut

Fried sw potato in co oil and cinnamon

Sautéed spinach in co oil

M2

1/2 lb burger topped w/ mayo, mustard and sauerkraut

Fried sw potato

Carrot, parsnip and gr bean soup

I drink water in between meals but couldn't tell you how much.

I am sleeping about 7-8 hrs each night but this is often interrupted by children. Exercise is very light lately except chasing said children during daytime hours. My job as a massage therapist is somewhat physical as well.

Any thoughts or tips to boost my energy?

Thanks

[Mom2A&M]

I should also mention I am following IBS protocol and low/no FODMAPS due to digestive distress

[AmyS]

Interrupted sleep means you'll be sleepy.  And then you chase kids and do massage therapy.

 

Wait until you get to sleep through the night.  You'll be astounded.  I don't know how to hurry that up, my girls are almost 10 and I still don't always sleep through the night with them.  LOL  But the nights I do, WOAH NELLY.  It's insane, how much energy we have just from getting uninterrupted sleep.

[Mom2A&M]

Actually on day 23...duh!

Amy, I really think it's more than that, as that has been my norm for 3.5 years. If that's all it is then ISWF should have a disclaimer about mothers of young children!

[AmyS]

Actually on day 23...duh!

Amy, I really think it's more than that, as that has been my norm for 3.5 years. If that's all it is then ISWF should have a disclaimer about mothers of young children!

I suspect that future editions will indeed have such a disclaimer, since the Hartwigs are now parents.     And if exhaustion has been the norm for 3.5 years, then the Whole30 may very well just be helping to show how tired you are.    I mean, 7-8 hours of interrupted sleep is usually my norm too, and I still say that on those nights when I actually do sleep all the way through, my energy level the next day is an absolute revelation.

 

That said, if you are noticing patterns of exhaustion that feel new to you, and you suspect food as a contributor, then you might post some days' worth of meals here and get some input on ways to tweak them to specifically increase energy.  One thing that comes to mind for me is starchy carbs.  I really don't function especially well without them, and at levels that seem on the high side based on what I read here.  I keep sweet potatoes in my fridge at all times.

 

The notion that we all have the opportunity to easily sleep through the night is a sweet one, and I see it all over the place not just in ISWF - but I think there are relatively few years in a person's life when this is possible without some major tweaking of schedules/responsibilities/etc.  And I have no idea how parents of young children manage it - though the number of children sleep training books suggests that a whole lot of us want to manage it. 

[melbournegirl]

Can you take afternoon naps? Also worth trying a bigger breakfast to see if that has an effect.

[Lizitea]

If you have IBS it may likely take you a bit longer to heal.

[Mom2A&M]

Amy,

I did post two days worth on my original post. As you can see I eat mostly starchy veggies, and sweet potatos every day, sometimes twice a day. I was hoping to have a mod reveiw my intake and offer advice, but doesn't look promising!

Juzbo,

I cannot take afternoon naps at this point. But I thought after three weeks of eating clean, limiting exercise and going to bead earlier would result in more energy and not feel like I need to nap. I really don't think I could eat more at M1, I am following the template, 2 palm protein, plate full of veggies and all doused in fat. And, I'm not hungry between meals, and thy last me several hours.

I am just starting to feel frustrated with this whole thing. I'm exhausted, My clothes don't fit better, I am still a slave to the bathroom and the work I'm putting in isn't paying off (yet). I will finish out my 30 days, I'm not giving up but I feel like all the "promises" made are like a glowing informercial and I got duped.

[AmyS]

Ack, sorry I missed the details in your OP!  My apologies!  (Interrupted sleep here, but no excuse for not reading in depth before replying.)

 

I'm so sorry things are feeling so discouraging for you.  I am always happy to commiserate about sleepless nights (as you've seen), but I simply don't have much in the way of information for folks working to heal the kinds of issues you're dealing with.  I do congratulate you on finishing out (soon), and I hope that others who are wiser than I will chime in with information and support that might be specifically helpful in your overall situation. 

[Mom2A&M]

I'm not trying to be a jerk! Just TIRED and frustrated, it's a bad combination!

[abigailesther]

Mom2A&M,

I did a whole food "cleanse" several months ago and wrote down copiously what I ate and how I felt. I found that sweet potatoes made me exhausted! One day I made a sweet potato soup and I literally fell asleep right after lunch. Maybe that is an issue? I am on day 17 of Whole30 now. I still have sweet potatoes but I have them in the evening and I try not to have them too often. Reading your post just reminded me of that soup...

Abby

[Revived]

@Abigailester wow...sweet potatoes made you exhausted?

Food is so complicated! It drives me crazy. What I wouldn't give to figure out the exhaustion thing!

I don't even get the uninterrupted sleep thing. Even if my kids do sleep through the night, I still have to get up to pee inevitably. Or I just walk up from needing to roll over. What's the secret to this uninterrupted sleep thing?

@mom2a&m - I feel your frustration... I really do. My first time around I didn't see any improvement in my issues especially the exhaustion and felt like I'd been duped. In my case, quitting didn't get my anywhere so I'm back to doing a whole30 and then I'll just keep tweaking and trying different things rather than going off the rails and setting myself back even further. Even though I haven't cured these specific issues, I do feel better in general than when I'm eating junk. And that's worthwhile to me. Also, I really didn't notice any change in my clothes the first time but when I got back on the scale, I'd lost 9lbs... So you never know. Now that I'm on the other side, I can appreciate that some things just take longer than 30 days to figure out so my encouragement would be don't lose heart, finish it because you'll feel better about yourself if you do and then tweak.

[Physibeth]

I can see how sweet potatoes in large quantities might make you exhausted. Of the starchy vegetables they are higher on the sugar scale so if you are sensitive to sugar it could be working against you. It is worth trying to vary your vegetables a bit more to see. Maybe try moving your M1 sweet potato to M3 and see if eating more greens in the morning is more helpful or try replacing one of your sweet potato servings with a starchy vegetable that is lower in sugar.

 

As someone else said digestive issues sometimes take longer than 30 days to heal. You might need to give that some more time. Also if you are dealing with leaky gut or candida the sugar in the sweet potato could also be doing you a disservice. 

 

I really hope you can find your answers!

[abigailesther]

I agree with Physibeth. I am telling you, I face planted after a large dose of sweet potato at lunch. I did much better with them in the am or night, and you are having them at every meal. Try a day without and see what happens.

 

I haven't slept anywhere near through the night in 4 years but I am not tired during the day if my diet is right.

 

Also, when I do feel tired in the afternoon, it goes right away if I can make myself go for a 20 minute walk - stroll even or bike ride.

[Robin Strathdee]

Mom2A&M - 

 

If you're still having...bathroom issues... there's an excellent chance that you're really not absorbing what you need.  Are you making homemade stock a part of your daily routine?  Unfortunately, sometimes it takes our bodies longer than we'd like to heal (speaking from experience). 

[Mom2A&M]

Robin,

Yes, you are probably right, I may not be absorbing well. I will be more diligent about broth daily. I recently added ferments daily too.

Physibeth,

My veggies are limited with IBS, especially greens. I can only eat cooked greens and spinach is about the only one on my "okay" list between FODMAPS and IBS protocol.

Abby,

I am going to avoid sw potatoes with breakfast and add them to dinner to see if that helps.

Revived,

I felt this way with my first W30 and after completing it I went on a 3-4 month binge and felt way worse, so I know what the alternative is, and I don't want that. I just want to feel better and be able to have "boundless energy"!!!!!! Hahaha!

Thank you for the ideas!

[AmyS]

Regarding ongoing exhaustion:

 

I just went to a new doctor who used a saliva test to check my adrenal function.  It turns out that my adrenal function is diminished during my waking hours and then it perks up in the middle of the night.  This explains my long-standing issues with exhaustion during the day and waking at night.  There are some supplements I'm taking now that will help my adrenals heal within about 6 months.

 

This was something I discovered after nearly a year of mostly Whole30 eating.  So I'll toss that in there as a thing to investigate as you go forward, if other solutions do not help.  I was really amazed to see the graph that showed exactly why I am so tired but wake up so much at night.

 

Anyway I have no idea if this in any way would apply to you, but I was really surprised to learn this about myself, and yet it gave me hope that I could feel better in time.  I wish you the same hope, and I'm really sorry it didn't come true for you in this particular 30-day stretch.  It's no fun to feel exhausted all the time and not be able to find a solution for it.

[Mom2A&M]

Mom2A&M - 

 

If you're still having...bathroom issues... there's an excellent chance that you're really not absorbing what you need.  Are you making homemade stock a part of your daily routine?  Unfortunately, sometimes it takes our bodies longer than we'd like to heal (speaking from experience).

Is it possible to have absorption problems and still be overweight?

[Revived]

Regarding ongoing exhaustion:

 

I just went to a new doctor who used a saliva test to check my adrenal function.  It turns out that my adrenal function is diminished during my waking hours and then it perks up in the middle of the night.  This explains my long-standing issues with exhaustion during the day and waking at night.  There are some supplements I'm taking now that will help my adrenals heal within about 6 months.

 

This was something I discovered after nearly a year of mostly Whole30 eating.  So I'll toss that in there as a thing to investigate as you go forward, if other solutions do not help.  I was really amazed to see the graph that showed exactly why I am so tired but wake up so much at night.

 

Anyway I have no idea if this in any way would apply to you, but I was really surprised to learn this about myself, and yet it gave me hope that I could feel better in time.  I wish you the same hope, and I'm really sorry it didn't come true for you in this particular 30-day stretch.  It's no fun to feel exhausted all the time and not be able to find a solution for it.

That's an interesting idea and I'll have to remember this for the next time I can actually go to the doctor again. Let us know if the medication helps. It certainly makes me wonder.

[Psirene]

Is it possible to have absorption problems and still be overweight?

 

Holy cats, YES. If you have absorption issues, you can eat enough mass to theoretically sustain yourself, but in reality your body can only process a limited amount, and it still sends you into starvation mode and tanks your metabolism. 

 

Especially if you have absorption issues, it usually (not always) signifies other issues with your digestion, and eating more (like a bigger meal) may just overwhelm your system and also contribute to feeling yucky (in whatever way, bloaty belly, more weight, whatever). That's why digestive enzymes help so much. They bolster your digestion and allow you to gain more nutrition from the food you eat. 

[Mom2A&M]

Holy cats, YES. If you have absorption issues, you can eat enough mass to theoretically sustain yourself, but in reality your body can only process a limited amount, and it still sends you into starvation mode and tanks your metabolism. 

 

Especially if you have absorption issues, it usually (not always) signifies other issues with your digestion, and eating more (like a bigger meal) may just overwhelm your system and also contribute to feeling yucky (in whatever way, bloaty belly, more weight, whatever). That's why digestive enzymes help so much. They bolster your digestion and allow you to gain more nutrition from the food you eat.

Well, I was always good at eating enough MASS! Lol! Never thought malabsorption could be possible with the amount of body fat I have. It's just keeps ringing in my ears that I need more than 30 days.

[melcrawf]

Hey, Mom 2A&M! Reading this thread a month later and wondering how you are doing? I have some of the same issues you do (lack of restful sleep, sensitive gut) and was wondering if it got any better later on in your Whole 30? I am on Day 28, and I have to say, I never got the energy that others talked of (and had a serious Kill All The Things period between Days 23-27). I am toying with extending to 45 or even 60 days to see if I get there, or if this just isn't why I am tired all the time (and achy etc.) Hope you are well!

[Mom2A&M]

Hey, Mom 2A&M! Reading this thread a month later and wondering how you are doing? I have some of the same issues you do (lack of restful sleep, sensitive gut) and was wondering if it got any better later on in your Whole 30? I am on Day 28, and I have to say, I never got the energy that others talked of (and had a serious Kill All The Things period between Days 23-27). I am toying with extending to 45 or even 60 days to see if I get there, or if this just isn't why I am tired all the time (and achy etc.) Hope you are well!

I finished out my 35or so days but unfortunately I off roaded a little too much after that

The sugar cravings and binge eating always seem to comeback full force after W30. Energy is always better for me off W30, but I feel generally worse. I am now onto a whole7 trying to get back on track. I would definately extend your days, as I think you have some momentum and are already in the grove of things. Rather than a few days "off" and potential for going WAY off like I did. I also did not lose any weight which was disappointing sincei have about 30 to lose. I still don't understand the whole "you need to eat more to lose" philosophy,but perhaps that's just my weight watchers background! I hope it gets better for you!