Day 22. No weight loss, may be even some gain. Feel not so good.

[NatashCher]

BoCa, thank you!

[NatashCher]

I'm asking the community once again, DO I HAVE TO WATCH MY CARBS? I am referring to this answer: http://paleohacks.com/questions/134050/gaining-weight-on-paleo.html.

 

I AM gaining weight, and I think I eat too much carbs (sweet potatoes, for instance). I was told here in this forum, that I should not limit my carbs, but please, I need some clarity. I feel that all varb dense foods make me fatter and that's because of all the carb dense vegetables I become bigger.

 

I don't want to go further with the diet if it will make me fatter than I am, that's for sure. I don't understand why you guys insist that I have to add carbs expecially since it feels like I should not.

[Semolina]

Carbs are to improve your energy levels: if you are complaining of low energy.

 

The W30 is about eating HEALTHILY and allowing your body to adjust to a new way of eating. If you can't get 4 - 5 hours between meals I would look at your fat intake: for me it's the difference between being hungry or not. (I eat way more fat than the template suggests and I still lose weight on the W30). It was scary as hell the first time round to up my fat (I mean really, who ever told you to eat more fat??!) but the freedom of being able to go 4 - 5 hours without being hungry was lovely.

 

How do you know you are gaining weight? A true W30 asks you to not weigh yourself. Also, it will be easier for people to give you more specific feedback if you do keep a proper food log.

 

Good luck.

[missmary]

I'm asking the community once again, DO I HAVE TO WATCH MY CARBS? I am referring to this answer: http://paleohacks.com/questions/134050/gaining-weight-on-paleo.html.

 

Out of curiousity, I read the post you linked and I find it fascinating that your conculsion from this is that you need to cut out sweet potatoes. These are not experts, it's just random people posting opinions, but what they said over and over and over again was that this person should cut back on fruit. a few people gave a specific number of grams of carbs, but most did not and nobody mentioned starchy veg.

 

You will find any and every opinion and recommendation possible somewhere on the internet. That doesn't mean it is correct and it certainly doesn't mean it is correct for your context. If you want to follow the advice on that thread, cut fruit and nuts but keep eating sweet potatoes and see how you do.

[NatashCher]

Semolina, I am always hungry, and I eat so much, my stomach hurts. I eat a lot of protein and veggies, very little berries, almost no fruit, plus added sweet potatoes for starchy food, and I still can't do 4-5 hours between meal breaks. Well, barely 4. I used to have very low energy when I was advised to add more carbs. Although, after I did, I started gaining weight, definitely not losing, and still hungry after 2,5 - 3 hours after a meal. I eat enough fats I think - fatty organic meats and oil in my salad + ghee butter and oily things like avocado and nuts.

 

I feel gainging weight because my clothes is tight! I don't weigh myself, but my clothes don't lie.

 

Unfortunately, I can't do food logs, I never could, it's a torture for me, I already is struggling with making myself eat foods that I usually don't - bananas, sweey potatoes, oils, and such.

 

I am sorry, I don't wanna look whiny, but I really want this thing to work, and it looks like it doesn't work for me for some reason. 

[NatashCher]

Missmary, thank you for the advise.  I don't really eat fruit. I eat a little of berries and almost no nuts, I just added bananas as a carb dense fruit, because I was advised to, but regularly, I don't eat almost anything that's sweet.

[Tina R]

If you want my 2 cents. Have you tried eating other carb dense veggies? Spaghetti Squash, Winter Squash, Beets, Carrots, Yams instead of Sweet Potatoes? It is possible that your body doesn't like sweet potatoes. Unfortunately it's a guessing game and we all want the results in days not weeks.

 

Are you eating different types of protein? I have a lot of trouble digesting beef and pork. Some people have trouble digesting turkey. Maybe change the protein you are eating.

 

Also the soy that you have been eating for 20+ days could be messing with your digestion so that nothing will make you feel better. It may take a while for your body to heal. I would do 4 small meals a day for the next week following the meal template the best you can and see if that helps. I also have trouble eating three meals a day because I don't have a gallbladder. I hope you feel better soon.

[MRiver]

Thought I'd check back in with this thread, as it helped me when i read it and resonated with it a couple weeks ago. Reflecting on my own situation, I realized at that time that I was still eating the sweet potatoes that I started adding in order to curb night hunger while pre menstrual. I also realized that I had felt really good when, at the beginning of my whole 30, I was giving myself permission to eat tons of extra fat just to get through the initial shock of the changes and restrictions. By feeling good I mean, as if I we're fueled. Like I could sense a higher octane gas was in the tank. A "feeling" of being lean. So i dropped the sp.'s and upped the fat again. I felt better and slimmer almost immediately. I finished 35 days, yesterday. I haven't really lost much weight (fortunately that wasn't my top priority really) but I did loose a few, maybe 3 pounds? Mostly I love this lean energetic feeling. I feel that I have figured out a lot about how to nourish myself most efficiently. I decided to pause and do a proper reintroduction before my husband's upcoming birthday festivities. But I am eager to get past the re-intro stage and go strict again, armed with this new knowledge. Then, when my hormones need the extra glucose again, I will have it.

I am sorry to hear you are not feeling better. But I remember reading about something referred to as a "broken metabolism", where carbs have to be cut really low for a while until your body learns to use fat for fuel. I think I may be dealing with something like that, and I thought that sharing my experience might help you. 

[Carlaccini]

I have a question for you

 

How much broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, kale, spinach, turnip, (basically goitrogen veggies) do you eat?

 

The reason why I ask is because when I went low carb I ate a lot of these.  My fruits of choice were berries (particular blackberries and strawberries) pineapple, and apples. 

 

I stayed away from peppers and tomatoes only because they give me a slight inflammatory repsonse (I still eat them from time to time) But the more goitrogens I ate - the more bloated and uncomfortable, and run down I felt.  I felt like I was gaining weight.  I did this for 2.5 weeks and felt terrible.  I was bloated, uncomfortable, and was most definitely gaining weight.

 

But I was like you and wanted to kick start my weight loss more.  But if I listened to what my body was telling me?  It was NOT happy with my new choice.

 

I did some reasearch as to why I might feel this way.  After all these were all super duper dense veggies.  Well it turns out not everyone diggests them all that well.  (Oh BTW strawberries are considered a Goitrogen as well)

 

How I solved it - I still eat a lot of these types of veggies - but I have played around with what is low on the reaction scale vs what causes extreme discomfort.  This takes a while to figure out.  Cauliflower just gives me extreme discomfort and I don't like it all that much.  So I rarely eat it. Spinach?  Low on the reaction scale.  It just to be cooked.

 

I increased my fat consumption. Yes I put homemade mayo on just about everything.

I eat olives at my lunch and generally as a pre work out snack. 

 

If you don't want to be hungry earlier don't eat fruit at breakfast.  example:  During my whole 30 my standard breakfast was 2 eggs + 1/2 sweet potato.  This kept me good until about noon.  After my first whole 30 I decided on making a "pancake" of sorts - 3 eggs, + mashed up banana and blueberries + sprinkle of cinnamon.  I was amazed that I was hungry again at 10:30.  I have tested it several times.  On days that I have fruit with my breakfast, I am hungrier earlier.  On days that I add a little more veg, but opt out on the fruit - I am hungry by 12:30 or 1pm.  So the sugar spike that fruit gives me - is not worth it.

 

I added a bit of starchy veg to my morning meals. (It can even be a spoonful or two)  If you are worried about carb intake you can always scope out starchy veg that are lower on the spectrum.  If I eat broccoli or brussel sprouts for breakfast I have to make sure there is a bit of starchy veg with it.  Otherwise there will be some bloating and discomfort that ensues.

 

In the end this is all about discovering on what works for you.  I am merely sharing my story because I found that this is what works for me.

[NatashCher]

Hello, my fellow cave people!

 

Two weeks ago I was very unhappy about the prior 28 days of paleo diet (what this whole post is about), but after relaunch thangs are starting to get a bit different.

 

It's the Day 16 of the new cycle. It doesn't seem that my size changes in any way (not losing weight) but at least I have not had registered any weight gain. There are also a few more positive changes.

 

But first, I have to tell you, that I disobeyed your advise and did not make carb dense foods a constant part of my diet. I realized, that my body reacts very bad to products that are carb dense, including broccoli, carrots, and sweet potatoes. After termal treatement they work even worse for me. So, I just conducted an experiment and removed almost all "sweet" and starchy carbs from my meals. I am glad I did.

 

Immediately I started feeling "cleaner" if you understand what I mean. Before after consumption of those carbs I felt like I couldn't digest them very well - heavy, bloated, tired. When I cut them, I started feeling much lighter. I also was advised by one of you to reduce the amount of carbs I consume for breakfast. So I did. I base my breakfasts mostly on protein and fat, add some vegetables, and once in a while I through berries or a banana. I know, bananas are pretty sweet, but I don't eat them often.

 

My body was adjusting for a short while, and soon my energy went up. I now have steady level of energy throughout the day. Before on some days I would come back home and had to sit down and couldn't even take an effort to go to the mailbox to get my mail. These days, I come back home from work and I start cooking dinner. Then do other home chores, mostly standing or walking. Going to the mailbox (2-3 minutes one way, sometimes was kind of a hard task in the evening) is a pleasure now. I feel strong and want to keep moving.

 

My moods have been high on the leverl of happiness, and I am much calmer. I can't say that my sleep stabilized - sometimes I still have disturbing dreams, wake up at night, but I sleep deeper, that's for sure, and wake up before the alarm (unheard of before!) when I go to bed on time.

 

Another good thing I registered. Even though my lunch is usually a big piece of protein (usually meat, poultry) and 2 cups of green salad with my hommade mayo (I am so happy I managed the recipe!) or avocado or olive oil (sometimes with nuts and little berries), I feel full for a few hours and have absolutely no problems holding on till dinner. ME! A person who had to chew something every 2-3 hours or I started feeling crazy without consuming something. In fact, at dinner I am not even that much hugry. I eat a piece of meat or chicken and a cucumber or half tomato. Or some greens. And that's it. I do eat  because I know that I may become hungry later, and I would rather eat earlier then closer to sleeptime.

 

Even if nothing else good have happened to me, this is already worth the new eating regime. I am so happy I don't snack anymore! And that I don't have to be calming my mind with food. I eat healthy and yummy food, and feel very well. My bowels work like a clock.

 

I have breakfast at 9 or 10. Lunch at 12 or 1-2 and dinner at 6 or 7. And I have no hunger till the morning. I drink a lot of water.

 

So, I really like what's going on so far.

 

Now, I really want my sleep to become more stable and my weight to start to go down.

 

Overall, I am happy that I have relaunched and corrected my diet. May be, I just shouldn't eat many carbs. I eat some. And I feel that perhaps, this is just as much as I need.

 

Thank you all for your help!

 

[missmary]

I'm so glad you found what works for you! I would encourage you to stay in that sweet spot (feeling good, happy tummy, energetic, etc.) for as long as you can, even if you don't think weight is coming off. Sometimes consistency is all that's needed before things will start to shift. 

[Carlaccini]

This is awesome news.

 

So happy to here that you found what works for you.  This is a very important part of the whole 30.  Stay with the sweet spot that keeps your body happy. 

 

The weight loss will come.  I'm at the point where my weight loss hasn't changed but my body composition is changing because I have added excersie in 2 times (pushing for 3 times) a week.  I'm seeing muscle poke through - so that's really nice.

[Tina R]

Hello, my fellow cave people!

 

Two weeks ago I was very unhappy about the prior 28 days of paleo diet (what this whole post is about), but after relaunch thangs are starting to get a bit different.

 

It's the Day 16 of the new cycle. It doesn't seem that my size changes in any way (not losing weight) but at least I have not had registered any weight gain. There are also a few more positive changes.

 

But first, I have to tell you, that I disobeyed your advise and did not make carb dense foods a constant part of my diet. I realized, that my body reacts very bad to products that are carb dense, including broccoli, carrots, and sweet potatoes. After termal treatement they work even worse for me. So, I just conducted an experiment and removed almost all "sweet" and starchy carbs from my meals. I am glad I did.

 

Immediately I started feeling "cleaner" if you understand what I mean. Before after consumption of those carbs I felt like I couldn't digest them very well - heavy, bloated, tired. When I cut them, I started feeling much lighter. I also was advised by one of you to reduce the amount of carbs I consume for breakfast. So I did. I base my breakfasts mostly on protein and fat, add some vegetables, and once in a while I through berries or a banana. I know, bananas are pretty sweet, but I don't eat them often.

 

My body was adjusting for a short while, and soon my energy went up. I now have steady level of energy throughout the day. Before on some days I would come back home and had to sit down and couldn't even take an effort to go to the mailbox to get my mail. These days, I come back home from work and I start cooking dinner. Then do other home chores, mostly standing or walking. Going to the mailbox (2-3 minutes one way, sometimes was kind of a hard task in the evening) is a pleasure now. I feel strong and want to keep moving.

 

My moods have been high on the leverl of happiness, and I am much calmer. I can't say that my sleep stabilized - sometimes I still have disturbing dreams, wake up at night, but I sleep deeper, that's for sure, and wake up before the alarm (unheard of before!) when I go to bed on time.

 

Another good thing I registered. Even though my lunch is usually a big piece of protein (usually meat, poultry) and 2 cups of green salad with my hommade mayo (I am so happy I managed the recipe!) or avocado or olive oil (sometimes with nuts and little berries), I feel full for a few hours and have absolutely no problems holding on till dinner. ME! A person who had to chew something every 2-3 hours or I started feeling crazy without consuming something. In fact, at dinner I am not even that much hugry. I eat a piece of meat or chicken and a cucumber or half tomato. Or some greens. And that's it. I do eat  because I know that I may become hungry later, and I would rather eat earlier then closer to sleeptime.

 

Even if nothing else good have happened to me, this is already worth the new eating regime. I am so happy I don't snack anymore! And that I don't have to be calming my mind with food. I eat healthy and yummy food, and feel very well. My bowels work like a clock.

 

I have breakfast at 9 or 10. Lunch at 12 or 1-2 and dinner at 6 or 7. And I have no hunger till the morning. I drink a lot of water.

 

So, I really like what's going on so far.

 

Now, I really want my sleep to become more stable and my weight to start to go down.

 

Overall, I am happy that I have relaunched and corrected my diet. May be, I just shouldn't eat many carbs. I eat some. And I feel that perhaps, this is just as much as I need.

 

Thank you all for your help!

 

I think you may have solved my problem! I think I may be sensitive to carbs like you and have reduced them for a couple days and I am sleeping better. This could be a total fluke but I will keep trying it and let you know. Thanks for sharing you may have helped a lot of us!