NatashCher Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 I was so excited my first couple days when I actually started seeing weight loss and felt so good! Now I am at my day 22, and: - I don't feel well - I don't sleep well (don't fall asleep fast, don't sleep deep, wake up at night and don't have enough rest) - My stiffness in the morning came back - I am tired - I am down - I probably gained a couple pounds, my clothes don't like me. - My face looks old and wrinkles seem to look deeper even though I take care of my skin every day religiously. A few days ago I asked about my process in the group on FB, and determined that may be I didn't eat enough fats, vegetables and eat too much nuts. Also, I have discovered that my diet contained antagonistic foods (that caused me allergies). I corrected these, and now I feel worse then before I did. Yesterday I spent all day in bed, without any power (or desire) to do anything (so not me!)... I am very tired (emtionally), discouraged, upset, powerless, and exhausted. It feels like it's all only naking me feel worse, even though I really want it to work and looked so forward to trying it! I have got to tell you a bit about my eating regime prior to the diet. I have been overweight all my life, my mother didn't like cooking that much and had no idea of healthy cooking, so before I was able to cook for myself, she made me eat greasy meats fried in a bun, lots of bread and cereal with butter, cheeze and sausage, pasta with mayonaise and cheese, little vegetables or fruits, and plenty of candy and cookies. When I started living alone, I picked up on healthier eating lifestyle and maintained it for a while with some deviations, but primarily healthy. I am Russian, and Russian food at that time was much healthier than American (where I am now), all natural products, including meats and produce. So, I felt very well then. When I came to US, I immediately started feeling the deterioration in my health, even though I still ate good products as I thought - vegetables, lean meats and poultry, little or no grainsd, and absolutely no fast food! As years went by, I started eating out more and accepting those foods in my diest that I would NEVER EVER eat in Russia, and soon I ganied 70 lbs and a few medical conditions, primarily joint pains, feet aches, and depression. But still, there was little or no grains or beans in my diet. I would eat a little bit of pita or lavash bread a few times a year, I can't digest beans, so I didn't eat them at all, I ate little dairy, but sugar could be a problem, even though I am not a sweet tooth, I indulged with sugar and mac n cheese may be 2-3 times a month. Still, compared with many americans my diet could be called almost wonderful! I had plenty of vegetables, ate berries that were not very sugary, some fruit, lean organic meats. I could say that my diet was close to paleo. So, now I am really not sure why I am experiencing the lack of result that I could register. I read success stories from different people saying that they lose a pound a day and are bursting with energy. I am subscribed to Whole30 Daily and it makes me cry every time I read it because I am not even close to fantastic symptoms that it describes. It's like I am an alien from a distant planet and Earth is laughing at me saying: "You try, not gonna happen, you fool!" Yes, I know, some people start feeling changes after a few weeks, but I feel like I was supposed to do so much earlier. I already decided to stick with the diet for 60 days (even though I am almost out of energy and algo going on a short trip this weekend), but I really want to believe it WILL work. Now I am in doubts about it. Please, tell me something promising about all this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GFChris Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 Please don't perceive the daily as laughing at you ... its goal is to encourage you each day. The results that it professes are based on feedback from thousands of people who've done Whole30's in the past, and what they've experienced.That being said, not everyone has the same exact Whole30 experience.Can you post 2-3 days worth of your food log, including your activity level and amount of water you've been consuming? That way folks here can give you specific feedback on possible tweaks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlaccini Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 NatashCher, Relax. Breathe. It's okay. Unfortunately the timeline is not 100% accurate. We each have our own timeline. The one published here is a general outline on what to expect. We all come from different backgrounds so we each react differently. On my first whole 30 I noticed on day 21 my "symptoms" were telling me that I was 10 days behind the written time line. I noticed many improvements on Day 21 but I was still struggling with energy and sleep. I had seen glimpses of how it could be so that is what kept me going. Day 28 was awful - I probably felt similar to how you feel now (I too have been overweight my entire life) and I seriously questioned the validity. But then I decided I would add 15 more days - "Just to see what would happen" - after all, I *was* feeling better and I wasn't doing myself harm by eating real whole foods. I lost 6 lbs in 45 days - not fantastic by any standards, but hey it was 6lbs.(I am 5'9" and I started at 260lbs/115kgs) And I can tell you that I probably didn't lose that weight until the last 2 weeks of my whole 30. Some have reported that they didn't notice any weight loss until after their whole 30. So everyone is different. The timeline is just to give you an idea on what is going to happen. The timeline is accurate for me now (I have completed 4 whole 30's) but back in August of 2012? I had a lot of work to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatashCher Posted January 27, 2014 Author Share Posted January 27, 2014 Hi, Chris, I don't keep a food log, but usually it's 2-egg scrambled with vegetables (salad or cooked), a few pieces of grass fed or cage free meat, big salad and something similar for dinner. I also like coconut water and coconut milk. I don't have power to excercize now, besides, I wanted to start slow - too many changes at once, I just can't handle. PS Of course I don't think that Daily is laughing at me, it was a metaphor. But really reading it is kinda painful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatashCher Posted January 27, 2014 Author Share Posted January 27, 2014 Carlaccini, thank you for your support! Perhaps, I just need more encouragement while I am doing this, it's just really hard. Nobody really to support me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GFChris Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 Hi, Chris, I don't keep a food log, but usually it's 2-egg scrambled with vegetables (salad or cooked), a few pieces of grass fed or cage free meat, big salad and something similar for dinner. I also like coconut water and coconut milk. I don't have power to excercize now, besides, I wanted to start slow - too many changes at once, I just can't handle. PS Of course I don't think that Daily is laughing at me, it was a metaphor. But really reading it is kinda painful. I'm sorry you found the Daily to be painful. Exercise is not required on a Whole30. Just making sure I understand your log: -Meal 1: 2 eggs with vegetables -Meal 2: meat and big salad -Meal 3: meat and big salad Coconut water and coconut milk. Assuming that's what you've been eating and drinking, here are some thoughts: - I wonder if you're eating enough? When eggs are your protein, the serving size is the number of eggs you can hold in your hand. That may be more than 2 for you. Are you getting 1-2 palms of protein when you're having meat? - Each meal should have 1-3 cups of vegetables. It's hard to tell portion sizes, but I wonder if you could use more cooked vegetables instead of having 2-3 salads a day? Carb-dense vegetables could also help your energy (sweet potatoes, winter squash, beets, carrots, jicama, plantains, rutabaga, parsnips). - Also, are you having fat at every meal? Per the meal template, each meal should have an appropriate fat source, along with protein and veggies. On a Whole30, the advice is to limit coconut water (further, any coconut water with added sugar is out for a Whole30). Coconut water should only be used to rehydrate after intense workouts. It should not be used as a regular beverage. Are you using your coconut milk to drink or in cooking? Coconut milk is a fat source on a Whole30. Be sure the product you use is compliant (no sweetener, carrageenan or sulfites). Are you staying sufficiently hydrated? Aim for drinking water, in the amount of at least half your body weight in ounces, daily. Are you getting enough variety in what you eat? Are you satiated 4-5 hours after each meal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulrich23 Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 I felt the SAME way. I am out of work as well and I had a few days I could not drag myself out of bed. Either I could not sleep or I was sleeping 12 hours. I had headaches and felt lightheaded. I was ANGRY most of the time. I was tired and cranky. I felt bloated and had trouble going the bathroom. I never have acne and was getting these ENORMOUS whiteheads on my face. I can go on........I was eating the last few bites of my 2 cups of vegetables like a 2 year old having a temper tantrum.....I could tell I gained weight... Then I woke up today. It took 26 days......... 26 enormously hard, yucky gross bloated days. Today I feel great. I just went for a 6 mile walk with three dogs. First time in a long time I have done that. My clothes fit a bit better. My skin is a tad brighter. THEN I saw the blog from today...about how it is not a Whole10. I needed that.I needed to be reminded that it took 36 years to get "this bad" and 26 days to start the uptick? NOT TOO SHABBY!!!!!!! However, I am sure I have a ways to go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlaccini Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 It can be hard. Especially if you are feeling crummy. But look how far you have come! You're on day 22! What parts are you finding difficult - maybe I can help you work through them. As for support - you will find tons here on the forums. I kind did my first whole 30 on my own. My boyfriend told me I was crazy and that it was impossible to do. Now he is very supportive as he now understands that the food that I was eating before was essentially poisoning me. (I have pretty bad reactions to dairy, and sugars just cause my hormones to go wonky) Chris makes some excellent points above. Make sure you are eating enough. This is very important. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatashCher Posted January 27, 2014 Author Share Posted January 27, 2014 Chris, Thank you very much for all your advice!!! Greately appreciated! Looks like I may still not be eating enough even though I increased my per meal food amount. But, really, I can take so much food per meal, every time I feel that I have had TOO much, my stomach hurts. I can hardly imagine having more. Right after waking up I can't eat. I just can't - eating feels awful, I can only start eating about an hour - hour and a half after waking up. I know, recommendation is to eat right away, but I feel like I am stuffing myself, because I have no pleasure or point in eating when I don't want to. I may however not eat enough in the morning, but I feel very full after what I am having. Although, I am hungry almost every 3 hours. So, if I have a breakfast at 9 or 10, I have to have my lunch at 12 or 1PM, then I have another meal at 3 or 4 and then dinner at 6 or 7. If I don't eat at 3, I am hungry so much I can't function. But I think that I eat A LOT at lunch: I eat till I am full. May be, I still don't eat enough of protein, I guess. I eat about 1-2 cups of veggies at lunch, can't say that about breakfast and dinner. I am not much into what you call Carb-dense vegetables, besides, ISWF recommends eating less than 60 g of carbs if I want to lose weight, besides I am already gaining weight! I feel very reluctant about adding more carbs. I am having fat every meal - fatty meats/poultry/fish and add olive or avocado oils, coconut oil or fatty coconut milk. My coconut water has no sweeteners or sugar. And I don't replace water with it. I drink a lot of water every day, I LOVE water. But, no, usually I don't feel that I can wait 4-5 hours between meals. Sometimes I do, but usually not. Really, it fells that all I do is eating, and my portions are humangous. So, am I not eating enough of fatty proteins and filling vegetables? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatashCher Posted January 27, 2014 Author Share Posted January 27, 2014 soulrich23, thank you for your supportive comment. I just thought that may be my eating behavior wasn't that bad. May be it was worse than I thought. Thank you, I will keep going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatashCher Posted January 27, 2014 Author Share Posted January 27, 2014 Carlaccini thank you! The most difficult part is not to see any positive changes and eating a lot of food! (I never ate so much!) and still getting feedabck that I am not eating enough. I am afraid that if I eat more, I will gain weight like crazy. And the lack of energy doesn't help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRiver Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 I have similar questions, NatashCher. I do feel good energy, but sleep is hit or miss, I'm always hungry while eating tons of food, and I don't think I'm getting any smaller... I am encouraged by Carlaccini's experience. There's a way in which I do feel nourished in a new way the last few weeks (I am also on day 22), and that feels right. I have not been overweight my whole life, but i have gained 20 pounds or so in the last five years in conjunction with some recently diagnosed thyroid slowdown and other homone imbalancing events. Feeling subtly better is great all by itself, but I would be lying if I said I don't entertain the hope that that extra 20 would go back to whence it came... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Tom Denham Posted January 28, 2014 Moderators Share Posted January 28, 2014 I eat about 1-2 cups of veggies at lunch, can't say that about breakfast and dinner. I am not much into what you call Carb-dense vegetables, besides, ISWF recommends eating less than 60 g of carbs if I want to lose weight, besides I am already gaining weight! I feel very reluctant about adding more carbs. It Starts With Food does NOT offer a blanket recommendation that you should limit carbs to 60 grams if you want to lose weight. You must have heard that somewhere else. And for the record, one-size-fits-all advice like that is always wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatashCher Posted January 28, 2014 Author Share Posted January 28, 2014 MRiver, let's hold on to it and just make it through the 30. I already decided to do more, and then see. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatashCher Posted January 28, 2014 Author Share Posted January 28, 2014 Hey, Tom, interesting, I remember it was from the book, hmmm... So, there are no carb limitations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ShannonM816 Posted January 28, 2014 Moderators Share Posted January 28, 2014 There definitely aren't carb limitations in ISWF. To have a specific number of carbs, you'd have to track your carb intake, and tracking your food is not recommended on a Whole30. Here are some previous threads that address the carb question that you might find helpful: http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/5593-keeping-carb-intake-under-100g-question-about-ketosis/ http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/15365-fatcarbprotein-ratios/ http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/14713-starchy-vegetable/ http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/9007-no-carbs-paleo-is-just-atkins-with-a-different-name/ Also, I'll just throw out there, I have seen people on the forums say that when they started, they couldn't eat enough volume at each meal to go 4-5 hours until the next meal, resulting in them eating more than 3 meals a day, and the general consensus is that that's fine, as long as the meals follow the meal template. I asked during my first Whole30 about an extra meal/snack because I was working really long days and not eating supper until fairly late, like seven or eight hours after lunch, and was told that in those circumstances, if I was hungry, I should eat. Your goal should be three meals a day, because, as explained in ISWF, that is best for your body, to allow your hormones to work as they're supposed to, but if that's not possible, make sure that every meal you have, whether that's 3 meals or 4 meals, meets the template of protein, fat and veggies, and make it your goal over time to get to where you can eat just three meals a day. I've found, personally, that if I'm eating enough at breakfast and lunch, I actually can go eight hours before supper if I need to, although I prefer not to. I get hungry before eight hours, but it's not the same as when I was doing a diet that required me to eat every 2-3 hours. When I did that, if it was more than 2 1/2 or three hours since my last meal, I would be ravenous, like, ready to attack someone for some steamed broccoli ravenously hungry, and now, it's just, I'm hungry, but I'm a grownup, and I can deal with it, no big deal. But it took trying different amounts of food to figure out what was the right amount to be able to do that, so keep working on it, and try different things. Including having some starchy veggies, because seriously, they will make you feel better. Really. Just try it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GFChris Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Chris, Thank you very much for all your advice!!! Greately appreciated! Looks like I may still not be eating enough even though I increased my per meal food amount. But, really, I can take so much food per meal, every time I feel that I have had TOO much, my stomach hurts. I can hardly imagine having more. Right after waking up I can't eat. I just can't - eating feels awful, I can only start eating about an hour - hour and a half after waking up. I know, recommendation is to eat right away, but I feel like I am stuffing myself, because I have no pleasure or point in eating when I don't want to. I may however not eat enough in the morning, but I feel very full after what I am having. Although, I am hungry almost every 3 hours. So, if I have a breakfast at 9 or 10, I have to have my lunch at 12 or 1PM, then I have another meal at 3 or 4 and then dinner at 6 or 7. If I don't eat at 3, I am hungry so much I can't function. But I think that I eat A LOT at lunch: I eat till I am full. May be, I still don't eat enough of protein, I guess. I eat about 1-2 cups of veggies at lunch, can't say that about breakfast and dinner. I am not much into what you call Carb-dense vegetables, besides, ISWF recommends eating less than 60 g of carbs if I want to lose weight, besides I am already gaining weight! I feel very reluctant about adding more carbs. I am having fat every meal - fatty meats/poultry/fish and add olive or avocado oils, coconut oil or fatty coconut milk. My coconut water has no sweeteners or sugar. And I don't replace water with it. I drink a lot of water every day, I LOVE water. But, no, usually I don't feel that I can wait 4-5 hours between meals. Sometimes I do, but usually not. Really, it fells that all I do is eating, and my portions are humangous. So, am I not eating enough of fatty proteins and filling vegetables? The recommendation isn't to eat right away: it's to eat within an hour of rising. Even if you ate 1 palm of protein, 1 cup of veggies and 1 fat, that would be good. Do try having carb dense vegetables at least once a day - even as an experiment for the next week to see if it helps your energy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlaccini Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 NatashCher, By no means - Whole 30 is not about low carb!!!!! Our body need carbs. Especially if we are near our period. I really feel you about the eating thing. I eat waaaaa-aaay more than I used to. And I don't excersise that frequently either. 1 to 2 times a week usually. My first whole 30 I excersised very little as I was trying to focus on eating right. I went low carb for about 2 weeks at one point (I was trying to lose more weight) what happened was my stomach became bloated and quite unhappy, my hair started falling out again (This is one of *many* reasons I started the whole 30 to begin with) and hormones started going wonky. If I have straight carby veggie in the morning - let's say 1/2 a sweet potato + protein + fat, I will be hungry again by 10:30 / 11. If I have straight green or other veg + protein + fat- the same thing happens. If I have a bit of carby veg + green veg + protein + fat - I do very well. The meal I have in the morning will set me for the day. My favourite is a beef scrambler -seasoned ground beef cooked with onions, add a handful of shredded sweet potato, and add mutliple handfuls of spinach. Cook until the sweet potato is cooked and the spinach is wilted. Season how you like (I do salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika) If I feel especially hungry that morning I'll add one or 2 eggs and scramble them in the mixture. That's way more than my small bowl of cereal in the morning!!! And way more tastier too! Lack of energy - add some starchy veg somehwere (carrots, parsnips, any squash, sweet potato, beets, celery root, turnip) it will help you. Also - Try to relax. You are eating real food. Your body is adjusting to this. Be a little patient and give yourself some time. You are your own science experiment so use this time to learn about your body a bit. (I'm a year and half into this, and I'm still learning!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatashCher Posted February 4, 2014 Author Share Posted February 4, 2014 That's it... I just found out that the spray coconut oil I have been using all this time contained soy. I can't imagine I didn't see that when I was buying it. Not only soy is not permitted, but it's also a strong allergen for me. It does make me sick. No wonder, I have not been seeing any progress and only feel like I am gaining weight: I have been cooking with it every day sometimes 3 times a day. So, decided, even though it has been 28 (freaking!) days, I will start over again tomorrow. It's not a fail: I have learned a lot, and this time I will do it right. Or, well, rightER. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatashCher Posted February 7, 2014 Author Share Posted February 7, 2014 It's day 3 after the relaunch. I feel bad - weak, my digestion is not working right. I eat A LOT every portion, and yet, I am hungry after 2-2.5 hours of meal. I eat a lot of protein and huge salads with enough fat every time, but I feel weak and want a tiramisu. It was supposed to be a day 31, so for the previous month I ate very well, almost 100% Whole30. Now, my stomach hurts, my right side (where the gallbladder is) hurts, I don't sleep well, I wake up beaten, I feel almost constant running nose, and I am TIRED and super unhappy. I have made sure to elimiate all prohibited foods from my diet, I really don't understand, what is going on. Why do I need to suffer all this much especially not seeing ANY improvements. I haven't lost an inch anywhere, I feel like crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GFChris Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 I wonder if the raw veggies in salad could be making your stomach hurt?Try switching to all cooked vegetables, including having 1-2 carb-dense vegetables daily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatashCher Posted February 8, 2014 Author Share Posted February 8, 2014 Chris, I have just checked my Daily, looks like according to it my today's condition is predictible. I am not sure why my stomach hurt, it happened only once. However, the rest of my "symptoms" are outlined in the Daily for Day 3. I didin't pay much attention because nothing like that happened to me the first round I tried - the timeline didn't apply to me whatsoever. However, just the fact that I am kinda going along with the timeline this time around tells me that I may be doing something right now. So that gave me relief. I will stick with the plan. And, yes, I eat sweet potatoes, berries, bananas, beets, dates, other fruits - a bit of some of these every day. I guess, today is just good old Day 3. Yay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jillian Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Perhaps you're having some digestion issues that could be resolved with a little extra help in the form of digestive enzymes, a shot of fresh beet juice or a shot of apple cider vinegar (the cloudy kind). Also, are you eating starchy veg with every meal? I eating a heaping handful of shredded sweet potato with practically every meal (I could vary this - but it's so darn convenient). Eating a good amount of starchy veg at every meal makes all the difference for me in regards to my mood, my energy levels and my digestion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatashCher Posted February 9, 2014 Author Share Posted February 9, 2014 Jillian, I am afraid that precisely starchy foods mess me up. Carb dense foods, I mean. I feel so much better when I don't eat them, but they are a requirement, so I have to deal with eating them, even though I would rather not. But then, without them I almost never feel that I have had enough to eat, even if I eat a bug salad with oil and big piece of meat or poultry. GO figure. I will determine by experiment later on by testing some foods vs the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoCa Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 I don't know enough about this plan to be able to advise in any way about what you are eating, portions, etc., but I will say this: If I were feeling as badly as you are describing, I think I'd go see a doctor. Just a check up. Get your blood tested, cholesterol, and all of that. One of the things I think about on this Whole30 thing is that my body is responding to the new way of eating, and if something were actually wrong with me, I'd hardly even notice as I'd just write it off as adjusting. So, maybe, I mean, you never know, there's something else going on and you could look into that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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