Not weighing, but no body changes. discouraged.

[Bridgedurso]

I am two weeks in, and my clothes fit exactly the same. I am feeling no shifts in body composition. If I get through this and still have no shift in body fat, I will be SO discouraged! In the last two years, I have, in stages, gone from a beer-drinking, cheese and bagel eating vegetarian, to a GF/DF/SF vegetarian who only drinks rarely (no weight lost at all from that huge change), slowly I cut things like white potatoes, added some fish, quit after dinner eating, went paleo, and no changes. During this period I completed a 12 week body for life workout program, my body composition did not change visibly at all. I have done various forms of exercise intermittently, and would like to do more. It's the one area where I know I still have room to improve. Honestly, I hate it more than anything. I do just fine doing fun things on the weekends--big hikes, long bike rides, kayaking, but I can't stand actual working out. I am angry the whole time, every time (except for some of the slower, lower intensity forms of yoga, like Iyengar). So, now I was sure that the Whole30 would help me begin to turn the corner. and after two weeks, I am experiencing NONE of the changes I am reading about. My ears are still itchy, my hands are still puffy when it's hot. My energy still ebbs and flows, I am still craving sweets. I have a groupon for a month at our local crossfit gym for my husband and I but I am almost afraid to go because there is absolutely no way for us to fit it into the budget after the month ends....and I dread the idea of going at all. Do you think exercise is the missing component? I mean, I am not sedentary at all, but I don't have a fitness routine. I definitely have weight to lose, a good 50 lbs. The frustrating thing as that all of this is after my commitment (2 years ago) to quit dieting once and for all. I know that I could go bust out a couple months of weight watchers and take off some pounds, but it makes me crazy. I always gain it back and then some, I lose sight of the health aspect of nutrition, and it feeds right into my emotional eating/binge eating history (which I also stopped about a year and a half ago without losing). basically, my hormones are f$#!*ed and it's beginning to feel like there's nothing to be done about it. Are there some of us who simply cannot take off the excess weight? ugh.

[Tom Denham]

It may take you 2 years to make the progress you want. If your hormones are as out of whack as you suspect, you are unlikely to see quick progress for a while. The Whole30 is a dependable path. If you stay on it, you will get healthier. Hang in there!

CrossFit is probably not a good choice for you at this time. The intensity is too high. Long walks and yoga make more sense at this stage of your life.

[Mer]

Hey, Bridge! I'm in the same boat you are. This is my third or fourth Whole30 (I've lost count) and usually the weight slides off REALLY quick, but this time I've seen NO change in body comp on Day 15. BUT, I will say that I feel freaking fantastic and even if I'm not losing weight, eating this way is worth it for the lack of allergy symptoms, clear skin, excellent sleep, better stamina during workouts and quicker recovery time!

Hang in there--you're doing great!

[Renee Lee]

I think you need to take a deep breath. After all your diet swings, and probable calorie counting, lots of stressing over your weight/body comp, and what looks like an active lifestyle, your body seems to be screaming at you to calm down and simmer.

You could not be eating enough, or you could be sleeping too little, or your cortisol really is a total and complete mess. If that's the case, it is a LONG road back...one that you should probably check in with an ND to work with you on correcting.

Address the first two things. If they're in line and you still finish the Whole30 with no progress, then reevaluate.

Though it is NOT a requirement to work out during your W30. Go for some long walks with your hubby, keep it low intensity, just get out!

[Just Real Food]

Stop worrying about what you weigh!

Remember the Whole30 is about getting healthier - not weightloss.

If you focus entirely on eating real food, you will get healthier and when your body is ready, you'll start to lose some body fat.

The feeling of freedom is amazing. No longer are you criticising yourself every time you stand on those damn scales. And you don't have to struggle with that right through every day.

Take your mind forward to the future you; eating and looking the way you want to be for the rest of your life. I bet you don't see yourself standing on a scale everyday, or even stressing about what shape and size you are. Be that person now and don't waste another moment being that stressed out, weight and shape-fixated person.

Go for it!

Relax!

[Cassie M]

Hello!

Firstly - congratulations on making this positive change in your life by committing to the Whole30 and getting 2 weeks in - that's no easy feat, so pat yourself on the back.

Now, take a deep breath, and think about why you joined the Whole30 in the first place; if it was just to lose weight, then you're in it for the wrong reasons. If you're here to change your relationship with food and make a lifestyle change (instead of being on another diet), then you're on the right track. As others have said on here - you are in the process of building a healthy lifestyle so look at this is a positive first step in the right direction.

Remember that it took you more than 30 days to gain the 50 lbs you want to lose, so it will take much more than 30 days to take it off, but if you focus on creating healthy habits, over time you will see the changes in your body that you are hoping for.

You're doing great so far, so keep it up!

[Bridgedurso]

Thank everyone,

Cassie and Catsings are, ironically, reflecting what I teach in my own Intuitive Eating workshops and my general life philosophy. It's easy to slip back into weight-fixated even when that's not my primary motivation. I committed nearly 2 years ago to scrap weight-focussed food plans in favor of health focussed ones, but it still gets me sometimes. And the reality is, that even though I in many ways have let go of weight obsession (most of the time), I have come to terms with the reality that I actually want to lose weight. I am not longer convinced that I should, nor am I responding to others' artificial notions of beauty, but I want my thighs not to rub when I wear skirts, and to find clothes that fit. After two years of "faith in the process" and focussing on wellness, I became convinced that paleo was the lifestyle that would turn in the corner and I just became frustrated the other day b/c I am not yet getting any feedback from my body about being on the right track. I will likely extend my Whole30 past 30 days in order to ensure that I am really and truly running this experiment 100% of the way. I AM really happy to find that I no longer have to eat every 2 hours. Thanks for all the support, thoughts, kind words, etc.