Where is the tiger blood?

[AuntRae09]

My husband and I started our first Whole30 on June 1st.  I have read about the health benefits and those are great, but my main motivation was weight loss.  I have gain 70 pounds since July 2012 and my knees HATE me. I eat like a toddler and lived on sugars, grains, and dairy.  I don't like a lot of veggies and my main source of hydration was full flavor Coke.  Something had to change!

 

We are on day 4 of week 3.  I have followed the plan to the T and haven't cheated, not even when the temptation was so great it brought me to tears.  I am trying to eat veggies I don't like and praying my taste change.  I have had nothing but water to drink since we started.  I am making a serious effort to make this work.  I know you aren't supposed to weigh but that is my motivation.  I have lost 12 pounds and I am thrilled with that. 

 

Here are my problems: 

1: I seems to be at a standstill with my weigh loss.  I started so strong and now seem to be holding steady.  

2: Where is the tiger blood I keep reading about?  I am desperate for some energy.  I am still so tired all the time.  I am tired of yawning. 

 

Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[GFChris]

First, please please please hide that scale until you are done with your Whole30.  Focus instead on how you're feeling, other non-scale changes you're noticing, etc.  The idea is to get away from the numbers for 30 days: so many things can cause weight to go up, down and stall in a matter of a day.  If you really want it, the scale will still be there when you're done.

 

It would help to see 2-3 days worth of your food log, including daily water intake, nightly hours of sleep, and any exercise you may be doing. Folks here can then give you feedback on possible tweaks. 

[Guest WholeStanley]

If your motivation is to lose weight, then the no scale rule was written specifically for you!

[RebeccaJean]

What are your sleeping habits/night time routine?? Sleep is VERY important. Keep in mind that your body is used to running on sugar, and living on sugar high "energy". Having energy from natural foods is going to be a different feeling than your sugar high. It should be a steady feeling of energy throughout the day. Post a typical day food/sleep/exercise and we can recommend a few things. 

 

I agree with @GFChris, ditch the scale. Most people who struggle with weight have an unhealthy relationship with the scale. It is not just about weight. It is about changing your relationship with food and fueling your body with high quality food. Don't be hard on yourself. Your body is going through a major change and its normal to be up/down in weight any given day, hence why you're not supposed to weigh/measure during the program.  

[MeadowLily]

My husband and I started our first Whole30 on June 1st.  I have read about the health benefits and those are great, but my main motivation was weight loss.  I have gain 70 pounds since July 2012 and my knees HATE me. I eat like a toddler and lived on sugars, grains, and dairy.  I don't like a lot of veggies and my main source of hydration was full flavor Coke.  Something had to change!

 

We are on day 4 of week 3.  I have followed the plan to the T and haven't cheated, not even when the temptation was so great it brought me to tears.  I am trying to eat veggies I don't like and praying my taste change.  I have had nothing but water to drink since we started.  I am making a serious effort to make this work.  I know you aren't supposed to weigh but that is my motivation.  I have lost 12 pounds and I am thrilled with that. 

 

Here are my problems: 

1: I seems to be at a standstill with my weigh loss.  I started so strong and now seem to be holding steady.  

2: Where is the tiger blood I keep reading about?  I am desperate for some energy.  I am still so tired all the time.  I am tired of yawning. 

 

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Can you go for a walk?   If you haven't been walking regularly, if can make you sleepy.   That's how I felt until I started to get some fresh air and breathe.   I started out slow and I'm working upwards.  My knees hurt too but I bought some KT tape that athletes use. I cut a strip in half and used one on each side of my knee and then another 1/2 of a one under the bottom of my knee cap.  The tape doesn't go around your leg, so you're not cutting off circulation.    It gives your knee support and they feel so much better.   It's just a thin strip of cotton support but they made all the difference for walking.  It looks like a square U.

 

They last for about 3 days even in the shower.  Try to go even 10 min and work up to 30.  You'll feel so much better.

[MrsStick]

Aww, I'm sorry you feel this way! *hugs* Seriously, you deserve it. You're doing something AWESOME for your health and your husband's! I can't imagine how hard this is for you, because I do not have the history/weight issues you do, but I promise that I'm not judging...far from it, I'm ready to play cheerleader for you! Great job!

 

You mentioned forcing yourself to eat veggies you don't like...don't. I know, it sounds crazy. What I will suggest is that you try new veggies, eat them, and if they don't taste good, try them a different way the next time. A roasted carrot tastes WAY different from a boiled/mashed carrot which tastes WAY different than a raw carrot. Same with broccoli, onions, tomatoes, etc. So don't force yourself to eat things if you don't like them. Find ways you DO like them. And if brussel sprouts are never your thing, then don't eat them. Life's too short to eat things that make you wish you could just eat wood. (Side note: even I don't like veggies prepared some ways. But I've found ways I DO like them, and do that. So I'm having the silky gingered zucchini soup from Well Fed 2/TheClothesMakeTheGirl with caulflower rice in it this week, and have chopped celery in my chicken salad so I don't notice I'm eating it.)

 

Get rid of the scale. We've all said it but it's really your enemy. Focus on how your body fits into the same outfit, for instance, instead of your relationship with gravity. People have had very successful Whole 30s where, in total, they gained a few pounds but lost 20+ inches combined between their arms, legs, hips, belly, etc. You have a lot of weight to lose, and have lost a considerable amount in a short time. 12 lbs in 3 weeks works out to just under 1 lb every 2 days...nutritionists usually advise people to lose 1-2 lbs per week, so you've already lost enough to make a nutritionist say you're over the recommended rate (12 lbs in 21 days = .57 lb per day, and therefore, if you don't lose any more weight this month, you've lost 12 lbs in 30 days = 2.4 lbs/week, which is almost half a pound more than the recommended rate). Just think about that - a nutritionist would be happy with what you've lost already, even if it had taken you longer to lose it! So stop worrying about how much you've lost...you're worth WAY more than a number.

 

Tiger blood is a tricky thing, and the blog actually had a post revising that wording recently (post at http://whole30.com/2014/04/tiger-blood/). A key section that might help you feel better:

 

Not everyone feels like the Energizer Bunny, grins like the Cheshire Cat, or feels unstoppable during their program, especially if you're recovering from decades of poor eating habits, a sedentary lifestyle, or chronic health conditions.

 

So, based on what you've mentioned in your post, this is probably you. Not that it's a bad thing. The "tiger blood" timeline is based on an average of what people on the W30 feel. Average means that some people hit tiger blood way before that point, and some hit it way after it. If you have health problems that you are healing from, your tiger blood point might not be until day 45 or 60. The point here is that your body will get used to this and will, eventually, give you the energy that you're craving right now.

 

I agree that getting up and moving can help you with this a little bit. Even a little light exercise, like walking around the block, can help you sleep better, and that can help you heal and lose weight. Eat carbs too - sweet potatoes (if you don't like them plain, you can mix in some coconut milk and cinnamon...don't like them sweet? mix in some garlic salt, pepper, ghee, and maybe cumin), carrots, etc. will help fuel your body and can jump start weight loss (if it's stalled due to a lack of carbs...I don't understand it either, but it works).

 

Bottom line: don't give up! Keep going, and consider extending to a Whole 45 or Whole 60 if you feel like you need it. Your body is different from mine, is different from your husband's, and is different from Melissa's. It needs to heal itself...drink plenty of water (maybe you could dress it up with a wedge of lime or lemon to keep it interesting), sleep as much as you need to (my husband and I are in our late 20s and sleep a minimum of 8 hours every night...we feel best around 8.5-9), and try to love yourself right now. This, too, shall pass.

[RebeccaJean]

Day #23!! If someone would have asked me if I'd do another whole30 on days #3-8 I would have said they were NUTS. But I am considering making this a whole 60! No tiger blood yet, but I feel good. I think the tiger blood is all a matter of perspective. I feel slimmer, little to no aches/pains, no indigestion/bloating/gas, clearer skin, healthier nails, and I have more energy. This plan is working wonders for my body, and I am learning about my relationship with food. I always knew I ate when I was bored, sad, mad, lonely; but I never knew how much I relied on feeding my emotions until starting this plan. I now face my feelings/thoughts straight on, and as awkward as that is for me, its been a challenge in positive growth. Instead of giving into every craving I study it, think about my feelings/thoughts and after 5-10mins it passes. I never challenged myself to do that. My cravings and eating habits were in control of my life, but I am regaining control, and it feels GREAT!! I've never treated my body so well, and it is thanking me 10x's over. Hoping everyone else on their first whole30 is reaping the benefits!!