I'm inclined to think this doesn't work. 32 days and my energy is still terrible.

[Chrisgordillo]

32 days and my energy is still terrible.

[GlennR]

Maybe it doesn't for you at that. There's always the possibility.

[Brewer5]

I'd encourage you to keep a daily food log here, where people can pop in regularly and give you feedback.  It is really helpful.  

 

I did look back through your posts, and it looks to me like you maybe were not eating enough food (I eat more than some of your meals listed, and I am a 5'2" ~124 lb. female).  I also saw that you were having a lot of sweet cravings that were being fed with sugar (fruit).  I did not read all of the responses you got, but I know you were given some great advice, so you probably have made some changes since the posts I read.

 

What I didn't see:  How is your sleep?  No, I mean, how, really, is your sleep?  Do you get to sleep in a regular pattern?  As a firefighter, I would guess maybe not.  That can affect things, for sure.  When you do get to sleep, are you winding down for a couple of hours before bed each night, without the computer / bright lights in your house?  Are you sleeping in a completely dark room -- not even a nightlight or an alarm clock close by that can affect your sleep?  The skin on our eyelids is the thinnest skin on our bodies, and yes the tiniest amount of light while sleeping CAN affect the quality of sleep you get.  Are you sleeping as long as your body needs -- able to wake without an alarm clock?

[missmary]

Remember on day 29 when you told us you were having large bowls of fruit frequently but barely meeting the template for protein and fat?

 

You haven't really tried this yet.

 

Now, don't get me wrong: nobody is going to make you do a whole30, and you can really eat however you choose, but it just isn't fair to expect great results on day three. Nobody is going to require you to stick it out if you don't want to, but if you want to give it a chance I would give the recommendations some more time (30 days seems good), and really work hard to make sure you are getting enough food (try two-palms of protein at each meal, more veggies, more good fat). This food is the fuel you need to excel at your sport, eat enough of it.

 

You might like reading about our member Fenderbender: he is a bit older than you are, I'm guessing, but has made incredible gains as an athlete eating this way. http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/14106-fran-in-309-athletic-success-following-w30-meal-templates/#entry149028 and http://forum.whole9life.com/user/7122-fenderbender/

[Chrisgordillo]

Ugh!!! Lol! Eating carbs seems so much easier. This seems like so hard. With carbs I had energy. Admittedly I was over weight. And eating a few extra bowls of fruit in my opinion doesn't disqualify me from all the work I out into the whole 30. I'm going to stick with it and take your advice. But I don't understand how just eating a few bowls of fruit will keep me from transitioning to fat for energy. Also if I don't eat carbs pre wo but have a lot of sweet potatoes the rest of the day what's the big smdiffrence? That one pre wo card makes the difference of me using my fat? It just seems so nit picky. A lot of people just do Paleo and not whole30 and they eventually start using fat right? How does one little bowl of fruit or one bad night rest keep you from transitioning to using fat?!

But like I said before I thank you for your responses. And I'll keep doing my best to listen to all the advice. :-)

[missmary]

Chris, I'm sorry you are so frustrated. You aren't "disqualified", you just didn't get the results you were looking for as quickly as you might have. I wonder if it might make sense to take a step back for a moment and think about what you are hoping to get out of this process. When you are finished with the whole30, how do you plan to eat? We would love to have you see the magic of this way of eating before you dismiss it, but it doesn't really sound like you are in the right frame of mind to do it right now.

 

I wonder if a little time incorporating whatever you felt "worked" for you from this way of eating, adding in whatever you feel you were missing (one at a time, testing to see how you react) would be a good idea right now? A little break to reassess? Maybe you will find you prefer to eat differently. that's ok. it doesn't mean the whole30 "doesn't work" but I will grant that it might not work for you right now. be kind to yourself.

[GlennR]

Bowls of fruit = loads of sugar = sugar-burning metabolism. Your body goes for the easiest fuel to burn first -- sugar -- and does not convert into a fat-burning machine. And you stay stuck on a sugar high/crash cycle, with lots of down time. I.e., your fatigue and low energy.

 

Yeah, I'm with missmary. I don't think you're on Day 32. I think you're on Day 1. And will stay there until you actually start following the meal template. And yes, it's supposed to be hard. Anything worthwhile is. I don't know what makes you think this should be easy.

 

Oh, and for reference: I've been mostly Paleo for a year and, no, I did not convert to fat-burning until last month, when I did my first Whole30.

[Chrisgordillo]

I'm defiantly not on day 1 and she didn't say I was. Trust me I was strict and only ate wrong like I think twice. But ok. Will see. The one reason I did this is because I yoyo. I was doing Paleo for 6 months 2 years ago. I was 185 and recently I got to 218 lbs. I did this whole 30 to lose weight. And as far as reading the book I don't think eating bowls of fruit disqualify you from the whole30. I'm scared to start in corporating food because before long I start gaining weight again. I was going to try Paleo again and see if I could stick with it because then I could not gain weight. I just hate the fact that I can't exercise like I'm used to. I'm slower and weaker but look better. I know in repeating myself and I'm going to leave it at that. Sorry for the argumentative attitude. I know you guys are trying to help. Take care.

[Brewer5]

Ugh!!! Lol! Eating carbs seems so much easier.

 

But you are here for a reason.

 

This seems like so hard. With carbs I had energy. Admittedly I was over weight.

 

Ah, there it is.

 

And eating a few extra bowls of fruit in my opinion doesn't disqualify me from all the work I out into the whole 30.

 

No one here is disqualifying you.  Your thread title makes it sound like you are ready to completely dismiss the Whole 30, and we are trying to help you see why you are struggling with it.

 

I'm going to stick with it and take your advice.

 

Good!

 

But I don't understand how just eating a few bowls of fruit will keep me from transitioning to fat for energy.

 

Just seeing how tightly you want to hold on to your fruit tells me that you are not fat-adapted.  When your body easily switches over to burning fat for fuel instead of glucose, you can take the fruit or leave it.  It really is that simple.

 

Also if I don't eat carbs pre wo but have a lot of sweet potatoes the rest of the day what's the big smdiffrence?

 

Sweet potatoes are a complex carb that is slower to digest and causes less of a blood sugar spike than fruit.  ALSO, fruit must be metabolized by your liver FIRST, so it will replenish the glycogen stores in your liver before any of it goes to your muscles (where you want it after a workout).

 

That one pre wo card makes the difference of me using my fat?

 

Yes.

 

It just seems so nit picky.

 

That's because it is.  I assume you are here because you know that this is a well-thought-out program that brings results.  It is your choice whether to follow the program or not, but it is not fair to dismiss the program when you haven't really followed the rules.

 

A lot of people just do Paleo and not whole30 and they eventually start using fat right?

 

Not necessarily.  I did nothing but gain fat my first year or so on Paleo.  I was getting healthier because I was eating healthier, sleeping better, and I quit smoking, but losing fat is NOT an automatic guarantee just because you are "eating Paleo".

 

How does one little bowl of fruit or one bad night rest keep you from transitioning to using fat?!

 

First part of your question -- we are not talking here about "one little bowl of fruit".  We are talking about continuing to satisfy the sugar dragon with SUGAR, therefore setting yourself up for more sugar cravings.  It is an addiction and it is an endless cycle until you make a concious choice to BREAK IT.  Second part of your question -- I was not talking about one bad night of rest, either.  I am talking about your circadian rhythym and your cortisol level.  If you are not familiar with cortisol, sleep, and fat loss -- I encourage you to do some internet searching on that one.

 

But like I said before I thank you for your responses. And I'll keep doing my best to listen to all the advice. :-)

 

Good.  I hate to see you go after you have come so far.  

[Chrisgordillo]

Thx Brewer. I'll stick with it and make the tweaks necessary.

[GlennR]

I'm defiantly not on day 1 and she didn't say I was. Trust me I was strict and only ate wrong like I think twice. But ok. Will see. The one reason I did this is because I yoyo. I was doing Paleo for 6 months 2 years ago. I was 185 and recently I got to 218 lbs. I did this whole 30 to lose weight. And as far as reading the book I don't think eating bowls of fruit disqualify you from the whole30. I'm scared to start in corporating food because before long I start gaining weight again. I was going to try Paleo again and see if I could stick with it because then I could not gain weight. I just hate the fact that I can't exercise like I'm used to. I'm slower and weaker but look better. I know in repeating myself and I'm going to leave it at that. Sorry for the argumentative attitude. I know you guys are trying to help. Take care.

 

You're right; missmary didn't say that, and I shouldn't have misrepresented her. That was my opinion. And I'm sorry in case I sounded cross. I really, really want you to succeed; I want you to have the energy you want in life. I'm just frustrated because I've been following your posts all throughout (and trying to cheer you on), but we seem to keep circling back to the start. 

 

I'm rooting for you. I'm rooting for everyone here who's trying this difficult thing of changing such a big thing in their lives. But this program only has a chance to work when it's followed to the letter (and given time!). As the Whole30 tagline says, "No cheats, no slips, no excuses." It may sound unfair and restrictive, but there is reasoning behind it. And you'll only find out if the reasoning is sound if you actually do it for the full 30.

 

Good luck! I will keep following your progress and hoping for all the best.

[Tom Denham]

 Also if I don't eat carbs pre wo but have a lot of sweet potatoes the rest of the day what's the big smdiffrence? That one pre wo card makes the difference of me using my fat? It just seems so nit picky. 

 

You don't need any food for energy before you exercise if you have been eating and training properly. The reason we recommend a little protein and fat pre-workout is to serve as a signal to your body to get ready for something. The reason to avoid carbs before your workout is to avoid having fiber in your gut while you workout. 

[Chrisgordillo]

Thx for the advice my friends! :-)

[Haren.13]

I'm on day 35 and have yet to see my workouts return to where they were pre-whole30. I kept going past 30 days because I know there are things I need to tweak, but I followed the program the first 30 days. The tweaks I'm making are for me personally (no nuts/nut butters, only 1 fruit/day, try carby veggie 1-2x/day instead of solid 2 sometimes 3, etc ~ nothing I was already doing was off-plan, but things that maybe will work better for me). I'm a runner and at least half the time I'm dragging myself to the gym to get in a workout. I'll have an occasional good day but overall my energy is not where I'd hoped it would be.

I'm not saying these things to complain, but to offer a little commiseration I'll be bummed if my energy doesn't come back, and I don't "blame" the whole30, but I'm a little disappointed that it's not working for me in that area.

[Chrisgordillo]

Finally! Someone who understands!!!! Lol! I'm going to stick with it as well. I was doing research on Paleo and there are world class athletes that are for the most part 100% Paleo. So it can be done. I also read tact it can take up to 2-3 months to convert to using fat. Like I said. I like the weight loss. Hopefully we both experience the fat burning energy soon. Keep up the good work!

[jennor]

Chris, what sport is it you do? I think it might work better for some sports than others to be fat adapted. For exampleI wouldn't want to race a 5K fat adapted, but 13.1 would be fine.

 

And from one fruit junkie to another - cut down. It is hard, but it does make a big difference. You can do it!

[Chrisgordillo]

Well there are tones of crossfiter a that are Paleo so maybe it can work for short distance. I CrossFit, Mtb , etc...

[littleg]

I just wanted to pop in with a success story.  My husband (who doesn't post on here) is about 5'10" and was 212 when he started.  He is "farm stock" though - so even though he was too heavy at 212 he isn't carrying 50lbs of fat... probably 25 or so.  Anyway, he did the W30 with me.  He lost 18 lbs in 30 days.  He felt like crap for the first two weeks or so.  Couldn't run, couldn't crossfit, felt bad at work (he does HVAC repair so he is active during the day).  He followed the template.  BF was 3-4 eggs, meat and veggies (usually a casserole he made for the week) with some extra veggies on the side.  He would usually have about 1 large sweet potato in that casserole (so spread over 4 days).  For a snack he brought 2 HB eggs and a 1 oz bag of almonds.  Lunch was a salad with vinaigrette, some cubed sweet potato (not much, maybe 1/2 of a small one - again, cooked in bulk and used for the week), berries with 1/2 c full fat coconut milk.  I think he'd do eggs post WOD too, but I'm not sure... he would have 1/2 small baked sweet potato though.  Dinner was meat and veggies (lots).  No purposeful starch here but sometimes based on what we made.  Dessert was often some frozen berries with some almond butter.

 

He is now doing awesome.  His running times have improved almost a minute per mile (8:45 to 7:45 for 5+ miles), he is crossfitting better (metcons) and obviously his body weight movements are better.  He is focusing on adventure racing so not too into strength right now but I don't think he's seen a drop - probably pretty close to maintenance.  

 

Anyway, like some people have said this isn't for everyone - but here is an n=1 of someone who seems to be pretty similar to you who has had success  Maybe you'll make it n=2

[ultrarunnergirl]

It took me quite awhile to adapt to become fat burning, and I was "close to Paleo" for nearly 6 months before my first whole30. I was also an eat-every-three-hours sugar burner and my usual between meals snack was banana & almond butter or an apple, so it's fair to say I  ate a good amount of fruit. I think folks like us take a little longer than others to switch to fat as fuel.

 

It was terribly frustrating, I followed the Whole30 to the letter and my friend who was doing it at the same time adapted instantly. I DNF'd at one of my big races. It didn't seem FAIR.

 

But I got lot of other wonderful benefits in the meantime -- sleeping so well (best thing ever!), having so much wonderful energy, getting leaner, stomach never bloated or gassy, irrepressible happiness, food tasting incredible ... many more things too.

 

Hang in there! It might take another 3 weeks. It might take longer. It WILL happen!

[Chrisgordillo]

Thx guys! I feel the love and will keep with it! I'll make sure to share my success once I truly feel it! :-)

[Marlene]

I am on day 7 and also feel so weak. I tried to take a Zumba class this morning and couldn't do it. I felt horrible. My heart was racing and I felt faint. Is this normal? Am I not eating enough?

[GFChris]

I am on day 7 and also feel so weak. I tried to take a Zumba class this morning and couldn't do it. I felt horrible. My heart was racing and I felt faint. Is this normal? Am I not eating enough?

You may not be eating or drinking enough, and/or your body may take some more time to become fat adapted (it can typically take 2-3 weeks). Post 2-3 days worth of your food log in the Troubleshooting section, including the amount of water you're drinking daily, amount of sleep you're getting nightly, and your exercise. Folks here can then give you feedback on possible tweaks.

[Marlene]

Thank you so much! I want to stick to this Whole30 100%.

[Chrisgordillo]

Well. At like day 35 I started taking whey protein adding a little coconut creamer with very little sugar, white potatoes, and basically eating fruit and as much sweet potatoes as I can eat and I feel much better. At over 7 days like this I am at my same weight as well. I'm Paleo with white potatoes , whey. This is what works for me guys. But good luck on your endeavors.

[Brewer5]

Chris, hey, you made it through the Whole 30, and you learned a lot along the way.  You lost some weight, and you really focused on making the best choices you could for an entire 30 days.  You've figured out what you think is going to work well for you now.  You will also probably be able to tell as soon as you eat something that your body says, "umm, no thanks!" about.  I hope that you have a positive list from your experience that is even longer than what I've mentioned.  The great thing, too, is that if you ever feel you need a "reset"... if you pick up some old habits that are hard to break, gain some fat back that you don't want, etc. -- another Whole 30 may be just what you need, and it will be here when you need it.    Take care!