Day 16 & feeling frustrated. Want to post my food logs--where should I do that?

[Meghan]

Can anyone tell me where I should post my daily food logs in order to receive feedback? I'm on Day 16 and I just don't feel or look much different than when I started. I'm trusting in the process, looking forward and not giving up, but I'd love some feedback on what I'm doing on a daily basis. Should I post it in "Troubleshooting" or is there somewhere specific for sharing food logs? Sorry, I can't figure it out. 

 

thank you!

-Meghan

[GFChris]

Post it right here in the Troubleshooting section (just reply to this thread), as the individual food logs in the Your Whole30 Log section are not moderated.

Post 2-3 days worth of your typical food log, including daily water consumption, exercise routine and nightly hours of sleep.  Folks here can then give you feedback on possible tweaks.  Also, how's your current stress level, and do you have anything in your health history that could impact your progress (e.g., hormonal, thyroid issues)?

 

Also, a gentle reminder that it's a 30 day program. http://whole30.com/2014/01/whole30-tough-love/

[Meghan]

Thanks, Chris. And yes, I keep telling myself it's a 3-day program, but I don't want to end the 30 days and find out I could've done something differently. As for past issues, nothing really. I'm a pretty healthy eater, but I was having too much wine, cheese, carbs and sugar on a regular basis. I have always eaten a lot of veggies and lots of organic foods. My stress is okay--I have a LOT going on, but I don't feel stressed or anxious or anything. I'm pretty good about managing it and keeping things in perspective. 

 

Here's my logs and other info:

 

So it’s week 3 and I’m definitely not feeling like I have Tiger Blood, nor are my pants any looser. I’ve been following the Whole30 strictly, except for week 1 when I was apparently having the wrong kinds of snacks (nuts and fruit) instead of a mini meal. I adjusted that week 2, but still nothing’s really started feeling “amazing.”

 

The Pros: I am sleeping soundly, I don’t have any crazy cravings, and my moods are pretty even.  I am trying very hard to focus on those benefits, but…The Cons:  I started Day 0 at 193lbs on my 5’7” frame, and I KNOW I have weight to lose! Doesn’t feel or look like I have lost any  at all. (no scales, just looking at photos and using my jeans as a guide, and yes, I know it's not a conventional "weight loss" program, but c'mon! It definitely needs to come off!)

 

As for exercise, I do something every day, even if it’s only a few kettlebell exercises, a 20 minute walk and some planks. But I’m not overdoing it, either. No hour long intense sweat sessions or anything like that. I have a pretty active job that keeps me moving and on my feet most of the day.

I usually eat breakfast about 1.5-2 hours after I wake up, once I’m at my job and can have a proper meal. Today (Day 16) I ate at home, about 1 hour after waking. But the only reason I could do this was b/c it’s “casual” Friday and I have jeans, a pony tail and little makeup on. If someone thinks it absolutely crucial that I change this habit, then I’ll set the alarm even earlier, but then I worry I’m sacrificing essential sleep time! Right now I average 6.5-7hrs/night. 

 

I drink 70-100 oz of water, sometimes with lemon, each day. A can of seltzer on occasion. Herbal tea at night after dinner to relax and help get me ready for sleep.

 

Here’s what I ate the last few days:

Day 13:

B—1 chicken apple sausage, 2 hard eggs, olive oil roasted summer squash and zucchini, 2 cherry tomatoes, coffee with coconut milk

L—leftover “master” citrus chicken from ISWF, salad, boiled beets

MM--porkitos (nom nom paleo recipe) with guacamole and jicama

D (late, after band practice)—canned chicken over spinach and tomato salad, balsamic vinegar and olive oil, strawberries with coconut milk

 

Day 14:

B—same as 13

L—leftover“Moroccan” chicken recipe from ISWF, roasted carrots (very small portion)

MM--an epic bar (turkey jerkey) and half an avocado before I went for an hour long walk)

D—Steak (from a restaurant, grilled plain) topped with homemade compliant pesto, string beans, sweet potato (I made those at home)

 

Day 15:

B—2 hard eggs, 1 sausage, carrots, tomato, strawberries with coconut milk, coffee with coconut milk

L—paleo chili over butternut squash, ½ avocado, side of sautéed zucchini and squash with lemon, dill and tomatoes

S—(bad, I know) banana with almond butter and a cup of ginger tea (had dinner about an hour later)

D—turkey burger with homemade ISWF pesto and a slice of tomato, spinach salad with peppers and olives, side of olive oil roasted veggies 

 

Day 16 (today):

B—2 eggs scrambled with sautéed peppers and spinach in olive oil, topped with raw sauerkraut, 3 thin slices of prosciutto, ½ avocado

L—turkey burger with homemade ISWF pesto, ½ avocado, roasted veggies, orange

D--will likely be: ground beef (85% lean, grass fed) sauteed with veggies over pureed squash (plain, frozen) with some coconut oil and cinnamon, green tea 

May need a mini meal later tonight after our gig (band usually finishes at 1am, so I may have a little mini meal before our last set)

 

Thank you in advance!

[Shotwell]

You can also use MyFitnessPal on your mobile device and find friends (including from here) to support you when you post a food diary. I've been using it since I did my first Whole30 back in June, and it has been really helpful. (Down 27 pounds in 2.5 Whole30's BTW! )

[GFChris]

Here are a couple opportunities I see for change:

- 6.5 - 7 hours is not enough sleep. That, alone, could stall your weight loss. You want to aim for at least 8 hours of sleep nightly.  
- on Meal 1, the recommendation is to eat that within an hour of waking.  
 

Water consumption is good. Your meals, overall, look good. Are they keeping you satiated for 4-5 hours? 

[ginsinnot]

I'd second the sleep issue. I think one of the biggest lessons I learned from the W30 is how much more sleep I need than I thought (eight and a half hours has me waking without an alarm clock). When I get this sleep consistently, I feel great. It isn't always easy (my husband is terrible about going to bed at a reasonable time and I'm a light sleeper, so I always wake when he comes in if I go to bed without him) to get the sleep I need. But I highly recommend working towards more sleep in any way you can over time.

 

On the mini meals, do you really need them? What if you try upping your intake at your three meals and cutting out the mini-meal?

 

I'll also say that I've never really had the whole Tiger Blood thing. I mean I feel better with more consistent energy, but I'm not all ready to take on the world all the time.

[Petunia]

 "I am sleeping soundly, I don’t have any crazy cravings, and my moods are pretty even"

 

Sounds like success to me!  We are always told to "lose weight" to be more healthy, and often get caught up in thinking we have to physically shrink down in size or we have failed at becoming more healthy.  The fact that your crazy cravings are gone and moods are even is fantastic!  Even though it may seem less tangible than having your clothes fit looser, rest assured that your biomarkers, hormones, and neurotransmitters like insulin, leptin, cortisol, melatonin, and serotonin and many others are being reset to a natural level.   You are healing yourself from the inside out, even if you can't see it yet.  Remember in the end we're going for health, happiness, and longevity more than physical size and weight so it sounds like you're making great progress!!  Keep it up and I'm sure the weight loss will eventually fall in to place.

[Meghan]

I'd second the sleep issue. I think one of the biggest lessons I learned from the W30 is how much more sleep I need than I thought (eight and a half hours has me waking without an alarm clock). When I get this sleep consistently, I feel great. It isn't always easy (my husband is terrible about going to bed at a reasonable time and I'm a light sleeper, so I always wake when he comes in if I go to bed without him) to get the sleep I need. But I highly recommend working towards more sleep in any way you can over time.

 

On the mini meals, do you really need them? What if you try upping your intake at your three meals and cutting out the mini-meal?

 

I'll also say that I've never really had the whole Tiger Blood thing. I mean I feel better with more consistent energy, but I'm not all ready to take on the world all the time.

ginsinnot, it sounds like your husband and mine have a lot in common! I try to get in bed and fall asleep around 10 (my alarm is set for 5:30), but he comes in and wakes me up between 11-12, then of course I'm often up again a bit later to use the bathroom...8 uninterrupted hours is really, really tough. I may start using an eyemask and earplugs.

 

The mini meals only happen when I have a long span of time between meals. Like my lunch at 11:00am (I'm a teacher) and then I can't sit down to dinner until 7 or 8, or sometimes later if I have band practice. So I have a smaller mini meal inbetween or I'll be a wreck. There's also only so much food I can shovel in during my 23 minute lunch break, half of which is spent talking to students and/or getting my lunch heated up, prepped, etc... 

 

Thank you for reassuring me about your non-tiger blood-ness. I feel good, and I'm getting sh*t done, but I'm not roaring my way through life!

[Brewer5]

The Cons:  I started Day 0 at 193lbs on my 5’7” frame, and I KNOW I have weight to lose!

 

Please try to remember that this is a "con" of your old lifestyle.  This is not a con of your new, Whole 30 lifestyle.

 

In today's super-fast world of instant gratification, where we can click, click, click around the internet and have information delivered to us instantly...  Where we can click, click, click and have almost anything delivered to us within 2 days...  Where we can get approved for a new line of credit in a matter of seconds and walk out of a store with our purchases a few minutes later...  Where we can make a call and have food made to order and ready to pick up in 30 minutes -- or even better yet --  We don't even have to get off our lazy butts and get out of our cars! ...

 

...In this world, it is easy to get frustrated when we can't have what we want, when we want it.  But the truth is -- some of the very best things in life, we have to wait for.  We have to work hard for... we have to earn.

 

It takes 9 months to make a baby.  There is no rushing this process -- it's the way it was designed, and it is perfect.

 

You did not get up to 193 pounds in a matter of 16 days -- it happened slowly, over time... it creeped up on you.  You did not just wake up one day at this weight, and you will not wake up one day and see it gone.  It will happen slowly, over time... it will creep up on you.  You will feel a little better, and a little better, and all of these little changes will build upon each other... and before you know it -- they all add up to a BIG change.

 

You've received some great advice here.  Your meals look really good, actually.  I say take a deep breath, go for a walk, enjoy the experience, and trust the process.

[ginsinnot]

ginsinnot, it sounds like your husband and mine have a lot in common! I try to get in bed and fall asleep around 10 (my alarm is set for 5:30), but he comes in and wakes me up between 11-12, then of course I'm often up again a bit later to use the bathroom...8 uninterrupted hours is really, really tough. I may start using an eyemask and earplugs.

 

The mini meals only happen when I have a long span of time between meals. Like my lunch at 11:00am (I'm a teacher) and then I can't sit down to dinner until 7 or 8, or sometimes later if I have band practice. So I have a smaller mini meal inbetween or I'll be a wreck. There's also only so much food I can shovel in during my 23 minute lunch break, half of which is spent talking to students and/or getting my lunch heated up, prepped, etc... 

 

Thank you for reassuring me about your non-tiger blood-ness. I feel good, and I'm getting sh*t done, but I'm not roaring my way through life!

 

On sleep, I love my sleep mask. This helps a ton. I've had a few over time, some better than others. I also have blackout shades and curtains (I live right in the city with my bedroom facing the street lights).

 

I really never sleep uninterrupted through the night. I used to stress about that. What I've found is that by getting myself to bed with the goal of 8.5 to 9 hours sleep, I get enough sleep so that even with my waking (to pee, just because I rolled over, because my husband is hogging the queen bed with his 6'2" 215 pound self, because of a dream, etc) I am getting the rest I need. I'd never thought about how much "pressure" there was to get uninterrupted sleep.

 

I'm certainly not perfect on my sleep schedule   This week, I've gotten more than 3 nights with only about 7 hours. So I know I need to focus the next few weeks on getting to bed.

 

On food, I think you'll find the longer you eat following the W30 template, the easier it will be to go the time you need to between meals without snacking.

 

Keep going, you're making great strides

[Brewer5]

http://forum.whole9life.com/forum/24-your-whole30-log/

 

Here is the section for Whole 30 logs -- for future reference, in case you'd still like to keep one there.

[BeckyB]

ear plugs work wonders, I've been using them for a few years now, and if space in the house allows, separate beds once in awhile...