Second Whole30 not as effective?

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Hi guys!  I had a great first whole30 with 10.5lbs lost & 10.5 inches lost.  Now I am on my second go through and though I am not as strict as the first (I've had a brownie at a party and cookies at another) I am still doing well PLUS I have added running and exercise. 

 

I don't feel as though I am losing like I did at the beginning.  Although I am weighing myself weekly. Is it wrong of me to expect the same results the second time through?  Does it slow down?  Do I need smaller portions, less sweet Potatoes (yummy) or what?  I feel much better - and not complaining.  Any suggestions?

[1Maryann]

It may be the brownies and the cookies.  They may not appear to be that much from a calorie standpoint but they can make a huge difference metabolically.  Sugar is the easiest fuel for the body to use, so it uses that first.  This is why some people have a bad case of 'carb flu' early on.  They stopped feeding their body the 'easy' fuel, and it takes time for it to convert to burning fat instead.  Each time you give it the option of using sugar again, you may be sabotaging your efforts to become fat-adapted.  So it takes longer to get your body into fat burning mode, which is what you want if you are trying to lose weight.

 

Keep in mind that this is not a 'diet' in the traditional sense.  It is designed to help change your relationship with food, and understand how different foods affect you, it's not something you do every time you want to lose 10 pounds.  The weight loss is a nice side effect when it happens, but not the primary focus of the plan.

[missmary]

I need to clarify something here: if you are "not as strict" and eating brownies or cookies at all you are not doing a whole30. Sorry, you just aren't.  There isn't anything wrong with eating however you like, and eating really close to the whole30 (+occasional brownies and cookies) might be a perfectly healthy balanced lifestyle choice for you, but it isn't a whole30.

 

As far as having it work magic, it kind of depends on how you were eating before you started this round. If you were close to whole30 already, you would not experience the quick loss of inflammation that you would coming from a standard american diet. For me, the difference in my eating "on" the whole30 compared to "off" it is pretty subtle and the changes I experience are subtle as well.

[[email protected]]

Thanks guys - I have changed everything about how I eat and feel really good about my choices, BUT I am human and will not go through life without the ocassional treat.  If I do, I will just binge and start all over because I feel deprived.  That being said, I have changed my eating habits so drastically that I was hoping to take more weight off.  I understand that Whole30 is a lifestyle change & have made it - I eat differently than my family and it is definitely more expensive, but my main goal is to lose weight and get healthier.  If Whole30 doesn't do that, then I need to find something else.

[missmary]

BUT I am human and will not go through life without the occasional treat.  

Again- nothing wrong with having an occasional treat, it's just not something you get to do while doing a whole30. Maybe instead of doing a whole30 right now, you want to ride your own bike? That's fine. do that.

[praxisproject]

Crista - I'm not sure if you're having grains in your brownie or cookie, but I have a distinct difference in my health and weight loss when I exclude grains. If you're riding your own bike and experimenting, you could try making your own baked items with different ingredients and see if it makes a difference. Grains and dairy have a huge impact on my weight.

 

Binging and feeling deprived often go together, do you feel deprived on Whole30 the second time around? It can be hard eating differently from family, but sometimes when you want to improve your health, that's what it takes.