Question about possiblity of too much weight loss...

[peahen65]

I am on Day 6 of my very first W30.  I was talking to my best friend today and she is worried about me losing too much weight on the W30.  I am 48 years old, 5'5" in height, and 122 lbs.  She is grain free per her MD's orders and has lost a good 15+ pounds since doing so (she is 68).  I told her I wasn't going hungry, but she's terribly worried about the effect the W30 will have on me.  She said for me to eats LOTS of nuts  .  I know one does not lose weight indefinitely by eating well, but I don't know how to explain it to her.  Any ideas?

[GFChris]

The Whole30 is not a weight loss plan. It's a program to change your relationship with food.

 

That being said, many people do lose weight on a Whole30.

 

If you are following the recommended meal template for all your meals and pre/post wo, it's not likely that you'll lose too much weight.

 

Re: nuts, Whole30 guidance is to limit nuts, as better healthy fats exist.

 

If you want to maintain weight on your Whole30, check out this article http://whole9life.com/2013/12/keeping-weight-whole30/

[praxisproject]

If you are (or she is) worried about a reduction in starch without grains, you can eat plenty of starchy veggies like sweet potato, pumpkin, squash, plantains, etc If you ate a lot of grains beforehand, you might see a big loss, but you should be able to tell without weighing (how your clothes fit) and add more starches in if you need them. You can add plenty of fat too, without adding large volumes of nuts

 

Not everyone wants to lose weight

[AllyB]

I weighed about what you did and am about the same age.  I lost 10 pounds during my whole 30.  I didn't worry about it too much but some people commented that I was 'too skinny'.  I felt great though and ate what I thought my body needed.  When I finished my whole 30, I put several pounds back on. I think your body gets used to the new way of eating and then puts some weight back on.  But like the others said, if you think you are getting too skinny, you can always eat more

 

One thing I really noticed was how much easier it was to jog.  Losing that 10 pounds made jogging much easier on my joints.  I felt really good while running.  I figured since I felt good, it was ok.

[strabery]

I am on day 7 of my first W30. I am 5'7" and 125lbs. I know my family is concerned about me losing weight also. 2 lbs is even a major weight loss on me. I am trying to stick by the rules but have found that I am under eating every meal. Especially in the evening. I find that about 3 hours after my dinner I am so hungry I could chew my own arm off. I eat either avocado or olives with every meal plus I cook with fats. I'm eating more foods than I can ever remember eating and am pretty sure that I need to start taking my own cooler to work for lunch. I am glad that this topic came up on the forum as there is quite a bit referenced about losing weight but not much about being skinny already.

[missmary]

 I find that about 3 hours after my dinner I am so hungry I could chew my own arm off. 

 

if you are hungry between meals like you describe--really hungry--the whole30 DOES NOT recommend you tough it out. Eat another meal. Go ahead and eat 4 or five meals every day if you need, just don't replace meals with "snacks". This means you have a portion of protein and fat and vegetables when you are hungry, not a piece of fruit alone or a bunch of nuts alone. Does that make sense? Although 3 large meals is a goal, sometimes it takes a while to get there, and for someone who is concerned about losing weight (or breastfeeding or pregnant of needs more for any reason)....take it easy on yourself.

[dogmom]

I am  concerned about losing too much weight, at 5' 4" and 113 pounds.  I may have started off day 1 wrong, by eating LOTS of cashews to make sure I got enough calories. It sounds like pumpkin, plaintains, and yams may be in my future!

[Delaine Ross]

Eat like the meal template says and don't try to "make up" calories or CHO's by adding extra nuts.  By eating the way we are supposed to eat, the body will adjust to the composition it's supposed to be.  In my first Whole30 (and I tell this story to all of my students at the gym who "aren't losing weight but clothes fit better") my weight didn't change but body composition changed greatly.   I was 5'6" 130 pounds on day 1 and day 28 when the hydrostatic dunk tank came.  But I had lost 3 pounds of fat and gained 3 pounds of muscle (and had actually backed off a bit on weight training.)  The scale is just a number that represents a gravitational pull on us.  It is NO measure of body composition.  Trust the Whole30 program as it is written.  Eat until you are full. You will be fine.

[praxisproject]

My body has changed so much since my first Whole30 that none of my old shoes fit any more lol

[tahoecorgilover]

I'm concerned about weight loss too.  This thread is helpful.  I'm 5'3" and weigh 107 pounds.  Obviously don't want to lose more weight.  I just had my first breakfast on W30 so I'm new at this.  I'll see how it goes.  Might have to add a 4th meal if I start to lose weight.  Thank you for bring this issue up.  Most people assume the goal is always to lose weight but that is not always the case.  Especially for people who have had long standing health issues.

[praxisproject]

If maintaining weight is important for a health issue, it's worth keeping a food diary, then you'll be able to review if there are any tweaks required.

 

If you need to monitor your weight for health problems and still be a "no weigher" for your Whole30 -> get someone else to view the reading and record it, without you seeing it (talking scales are out). Then you can be both monitored and 100% Whole30

[tahoecorgilover]

Update - I'm on Day 9 now.  My worries about further weight loss have not come to pass.  I haven't weighed but I can tell by how my clothes fit that I haven't lost more weight.  I'm actually eating more protein and fat than usual so that makes sense.  I've also learned that it is just as important not to weigh yourself during the W30 for a thin person.  I weighed every day before the W30 because I was so concerned about losing more weight.  It's been a nice break for me not to think about it.  I just eat the way I should and let the chips (or pounds) fall as they may.  I wouldn't be surprised if I gain weight.  I'm starting to feel good now too.  I had the headache, some nausea and bloating issues at first.  The headache and nausea are completely gone; bloating issues are subsiding.  No problem eating 3 meals a day either - no hunger.  Happy with the progress.