Finished & Discouraged.

[Ashley D Remiro]

Yesterday concluded my 1st Whole30. I've had some body changes (digestive issues started to clear up, no more acne in the "hormone area" of my face, less intense cravings), but I only dropped 2! lbs. I also measured myself before and after... total loss of 1.5". It's really frustrating because I know that I have more fat to lose. At 5'1'' and 130lbs, I could at least lose 15 more. I don't really think that fat just turned to muscle since my measurements didn't really change.

The thing that I have struggled with the most during this challenge is that I work evenings (at a restaurant), so after I come home I am hungry! I eat, which means I am eating close to bedtime.

I don't think I overconsumed nuts... Maybe too much fruit?

I didn't snack everyday between every meal, but did snacks hinder my progress?

One reason I took on this challenge was to heal my digestive tract (pretty sure I have leaky gut), but I was also really looking forward to losing some weight.

I think I'll do another Whole30 in about a week. I'm starting a new 8-5 job where I'll be able to finish dinner and go to bed a few hours later. I'll try to limit fruit and try harder to avoid snacking. I guess I'm putting hope into a revised Whole30...

What do you think?

[juju]

Hmmm...my thoughts...

If you are "discouraged" then you are not "finished". 30 days is building the foundation for the rest of your life. You have made some very important discoveries about yourself and made some significant progress in 30 days. The past 30 days have provided you with a framework to adjust and improve as you move forward. I think too many people get caught up in the "30" part of the whole30 and forget this isn't about 30 days, it's about your entire life. 30 days gives you the chance to see just how freakin strong you are and how food is not the boss of you. You have built a great foundation... don't go tearing it down only to have to rebuild it. Look at how far you have come and how many cravings you have conquered in the past 30 days. Keep with it! Remember it's not about 30 days, it's about being healthy, happy and fit for the rest of your days. 30 days is just to prove to yourself YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!

[hobbitgirl]

Very true! Remember that ISWF says yours may be a whole 45 or a whole 60...it's yours and you don't necessarily end on day 30 if you don't truly feel finished.

[alm613]

We sound like the same person! I'm also 5'1" and about 130. I expected very different, more immediate results than I've seen (Day 26 now). But the truth is, at our size, we may weigh more than we want to, but we don't have a ton of weight to lose. It's much easier to drop weight quickly when you have a lot to lose- think of The Biggest Loser. But I keep reminding myself that building healthy habits is more important, SO much more important right now. The weight will come off eventually once this becomes a more automatic lifestyle for me. It took a long time to pack on my extra 10 pounds- I think 120 is where I should try to be- so I can't just assume that I will lose 10 pounds so quickly. I'm discouraged too, especially since my Whole30 buddies all lost a lot more weight. But they had more to lose, and needed to lose it more than I did. So I'm vowing to stay the course, because what's the worst that could happen? A lifetime of healthy, nutrient-dense eating?

[Ashley D Remiro]

JuJu, you're right. My cravings have completely changed. I used to LOVE LOVE LOVE chips... No interest in chips anymore.

Since we decided to end the Whole30 today, I had a bite or two of some cashew milk ice cream and realized that it is really sweet for me! My tastebuds have transformed and that is pretty cool. I love that you said "food is not the boss of you!" I'm beginning to see that as a reality.

I should mention that I've been eating nearly Paleo for the last three months, but felt I needed a clean-up. During the first two weeks, I dropped 7lbs, and haven't really moved from that point.

Hobbitgirl, I am going to give myself some leeway until I start my new job. I'm taking a day trip with a girlfriend and I plan to eat some amazing ice cream. After starting round 2, I might make it a Whole 60. We'll see

Alm613, thanks for your response. It's frustrating! Everything you said is spot on. My husband, who literaly has NOTHING to lose (@103, 5'5'') he lost more than me! In the end, building healthy habits is a great focus. That's where I need to keep my mind... and hopefully let some weight shed.

[Tara Hively Burch]

Ashley, I don't know what your diet was like before the Whole30, but that can be a big factor as well. There are some changes that are going to take your body longer than 30 days to get through. You mention cravings--I'm not sure what you crave, but I've got quite a sugar addiction, and a single Whole30 isn't going to break that (as I learned after my first Whole30 in January). It can take time, and if you don't feel like you're there yet, don't give up, just give it more time.

For me, I know this Whole30 is only the beginning. I have nearly 15 years of yo-yo dieting damage to undo--that damage didn't happen overnight, and I know I won't resolve it in 30 days, or even 60. But the Whole30 (and the Whole9 approach to wellness in general) will help me turn things around, if I stay consistent. This is not a diet, it's truly a way to change the way you think about food and how you care for your body.

As for the scale--toss it. That is the most meaningless number ever, because it doesn't say a thing about how you look, how your clothes fit, or how you feel. I recently had to get weighed at the doctor's office, and I saw my mom shortly after that. She and I are about the same height, and though she weighs nearly 30 lbs. less than I do, she looks as though she would weigh at least the same as me, if not more. Don't let yourself be defined by that number--instead, take good care of your body, with the aim of being as healthy as you can be, and your body composition will shift. You'll see that progress much better in the mirror (or in your measurements) than you will on the scale.

Best of luck to you!

[Ashley D Remiro]

Thanks Tara,

I think you're right that I need more time. I was really overweight in high school (215 is where I stopped weighing myself). I dropped half of my body weight in less than a year & have been up and down for the last five years.

I have intended to make a lifestyle switch by eating mostly Paleo. For the past few months, I have been eating a lenient Paleo diet-still including dark chocolate and some other treats.The stuff I crave. Sugar

It's so hard not to be attached to the scale. I don't know what it is about being rewarded with a stupid number. I should pay attention to the fact that I feel great!