Day 17 - need encouragement please

[Kage]

Hi I am day 17 of my first whole30. I think I have noticed a few subtle (very subtle) positive changes but nothing to really make me excited which is a little discouraging since the time line is taking about "tiger blood" etc. I've read all the testimonials about some people taking the full 30 days to feel better so logically I know all of that but then I've read the "it didn't work for me" ones too which make me think "yeah that will probably be me" which is pretty discouraging.

I have currently injured my neck, it is always a bit of an issue but has flared up badly. I saw the physio yesterday and now an in enough pain to make any thing except laying flat painful. I am feeling tired and sad and thinking I would have no clue if the whole30 is working or not because the pain is making me tired and grumpy.

I know taking anti inflammatories would help with the pain but I don't want to take them because they will interfere with my whole30 results. And then I go back to the self doubting though of "well it probably wont work for me anyway" and I feel like I am suffering through this pain for no reason.

Sorry for all the rambling, I guess I am just after some encouragement to keep going that it WILL be worth it. I am not finding the plan hard to stick to for the most part.

[bep0819]

Hi, please do not give up. You are doing so much for yourself while eating clean.

I'm not sure of the Whole30 thoughts with antiinflammatories but I have a herniated disc. Luckily it's been OK for a while but when the pain is so bad that it affects my daily life I do take antiinflammatories at night. I do not think there is anything wrong with doing that. Moderator?? Is there something in ISWF that I missed?

Be encouraged by your hard work with your Whole30. You are doing so much more good than lying down with a bag of oreos.

I just completed my 2nd Whole30 and with my disc I'm limitted to walking, pilates and swimming. Weight lifting would do me in so I'm not a crossfitter by any means. During my first Whole30 I did not excercise one bit. I still do really well every time I eat by the template. In fact, I'm going to keep going. I love the template.

Stay the course!

[Tom Denham]

I take Tylenol when I have a headache and anti-diarrhea meds when I have especially loose stools. If I had an injured neck, I would take anti-inflammatories. The Whole30 makes allowances for medications prescribed by doctors. Your experience of the Whole30 is being altered by pain. I think taking the anti-inflammatories is a good compromise. 

[JGiggly]

I have been in pain the whole entire time I've been on my W30. Last week it was kicked into high gear and I was thrown into a debilitating flare up. I'm at the tail end of it now. Don't lose heart. Know that you are nourishing your body. healing a sick body won't happen overnight or in 30 days, but it's a start. I take naproxen...at least until the flare up is over. It's ok. Try not to imagine your failure. It's counterproductive to your success. Instead, imagine your success. You are MORE than HALFWAY through. YOU CAN DO THIS! You are worth it. You are worth it even when things are stacked against you. 

[Marceeruns]

I really hope you won't give up!!! I hurt my back real bad when I was about 2 weeks in and understand your frustration but I can honestly say after completing a Whole 45 and starting a new one that aside from the pain in my back, I've never felt better!!! So worth it.. All my problems aren't gone that's why I'm choosing to continue longer but my back is healing quickly and overall I feel so much better!!! Hang in there, it will get better even if it takes more time than you hoped! Good luck

[ktothev]

I have an old neck injury (like, a serious one. I completely shattered one vertebrae and fractured another, and now have I nice titanium plate in my neck). It also flares up and can also cause issues in my right shoulder (the site of, yes, another old injury -fractured scapula).

 

After going paleo and specifically doing the whole30, I noticed two things: 1), the dull daily chronic pain was greatly diminished, and 2) the occasional intense pain from overuse (shoveling absolutely epic amounts of snow, in this case) was greatly relieved by anti-inflammatories that previously didn't do much for me in the past.

 

I'm not a moderator (but Tom is)...take the medication. In my experience, the whole30/paleo lifestyle makes the occasional medications work way more effectively than they ever did before.

[A.U.]

You are 17 days into this. Stay on track and see what you think a couple of weeks from now. 

[Kage]

Thank you all so much for your replies. I will take my tablets for a few days and hopefully they will help.

[Melimuse]

I am on day 18, recovered after a bad flare up of a hip injury with muscle spasms. I did not take anything, just did my physical therapy exercises and got on te foam roller. Also, lots of vitamin c and ginger root, which provides the best anti inflammatories in nature. See the nook Beyond Aspirin. I am having trouble fighting a virus that effects my eye, and a bad case of the winter blahs (so sick of cold and ice), but I think it would be worse if I wasn't doing the whole 30. Hang n there! Get some pt or chiropractic! Stretch! Hope you feel better.

[graygirl]

It's been awhile since you posted this...and, I'm hoping you didn't give up!  If you stayed on track then you have finished your Whole 30.

 

So, I hope you see this post and reply.  I'm anxious to see how you've done, how you are feeling and what you ended up with for results (if you did measurements, weights, body fat).