Not much trauma, not much gain

[karenD]

Hi. I am now on day 18 of my Whole30 and as far as I am aware, I have stuck to the rules 100%. I decided to do the program in an attempt to "reset" my eating and drinking habits. I am an absolute sugar fiend (and have been since I was a little girl) with the ability to consume the most unbelievable amounts of the stuff without even flinching. I also love my wine and tend to drink a glass if not two of dry white wine almost every night of the week. 

 

Based on those habits I expected the Whole30 to be torture. I also expected massive gains (in how I felt and in how I looked) if I stuck to it. The odd thing is - neither have happened. I read the timeline and waited to go through the madness of the first 10 days but didn't experience much at all - perhaps a slight headache on day 3. I geared myself up for the insane sugar cravings but again - they haven't happened. And - I eagerly waited for the "tiger blood" and slimming down phase but alas... nothing. 

 

The only change I can see is that my nails - which I have never been able to grow - seem stronger than before. 

 

Question I am obviously asking myself is - why continue. Sure it's not terribly difficult but it isn't as easy as eating exactly what the rest of my family eat and as a full time working mom with a fairly stressful job and two young sons - easy is awesome. . And, I would really love to have a glass of wine with my husband in the evenings again.

 

If I feel and look pretty much the same as I did on Day 1 - does that mean its simply not working for me?

 

Would really like to hear your thoughts. Will be sticking to the programme in the meantime - or at least until I get through all the vegetables I have in the fridge. Thanks so much. 

[Tom Denham]

Change does not develop incrementally. You do not get a little better every day. You may not see the magic happening until the last few days. The biggest changes flow from hormonal changes in your body that eating Whole30-style produces. Some people get into a good hormonal rhythm faster than others. Most get into a good rhythm within 30 days. A few people require a few more weeks for everything to come together. There is a reason the Whole30 is a 30 day program and not an 18 day program. 

 

You may be 100 percent compliant with the rules, but the rules leave lots of room for variety. Some of that variety may lead to slower or smaller results. The community here can offer useful feedback if you report what you have been eating for the past few days - meal and snack composition and portion sizes. It is also important to know how much you are sleeping because sleep habits has a huge influence on hormones. 

[kirkor]

My first W30 a few years ago I didn't really feel anything earth-shattering after completion, and re-introducing various things didn't seem to screw me up too bad.

I'm doing another one now and it's more because I know good things will happen inside my body even if I'm not consciously aware of them.

 

I do think there are cases where the benefits seem to be *too* magical, and while many people may indeed feel like they're on top of the world during a W30 I don't think that necessarily means *everyone* will feel that way.

[karenD]

Thanks for the replies. On an average day breakfast comprises 2 boiled eggs and an avocado + a cup of black coffee. Lunch is salad - with an avo plus protein if possible. Dinner is vegetables plus some protein (fish, minced beef or chicken). I have been eating 1 - 2 pieces of fruit a day - usually stawberries or a plum. And - raw cashews or macadamia nuts for a snack when I get hungry between meals. When I write it all down now it looks like loads of food. Good food but perhaps too much of it. Think that is the issue to me not experiencing the same level of benefits as some other people. 

 

I realise the program is for 30 days so the full benefits will come from sticking to it (which I will do). However, the daily newsletter does imply that one should be feeling fabulous by now which is what made me wonder what I am getting wrong. 

[AmyS]

Thanks for the replies. On an average day breakfast comprises 2 boiled eggs and an avocado + a cup of black coffee. Lunch is salad - with an avo plus protein if possible. Dinner is vegetables plus some protein (fish, minced beef or chicken). I have been eating 1 - 2 pieces of fruit a day - usually stawberries or a plum. And - raw cashews or macadamia nuts for a snack when I get hungry between meals. When I write it all down now it looks like loads of food. Good food but perhaps too much of it. Think that is the issue to me not experiencing the same level of benefits as some other people. 

 

I realise the program is for 30 days so the full benefits will come from sticking to it (which I will do). However, the daily newsletter does imply that one should be feeling fabulous by now which is what made me wonder what I am getting wrong. 

It looks like you need to eat more, not less.  We here in Whole30 land believe in eating!

 

Are you familiar with the template? Aim for a palm-size portion or two of protein (side note: nuts are a fat, not a protein, on Whole30); and a serving of eggs is how many you can hold in your hand - usually 3 or 4); a thumb-size portion of fat at the very minimum (cooking fat does not count); and then fill your plate with veggies, anywhere from 2-4 cups depending on the veggies.

 

Do that three times a day. If you're hungry more often, do it again. If you just need a mini-meal, make it a protein plus a fat.

 

Example for how to tweak things based on your log:

Breakfast: 3 boiled eggs, half an avocado, and 2 cups of, erm, spinach and tomatoes (if you like those). Drink caffeinated coffee after breakfast since caffeine tends to suppress appetite.

 

Lunch: if you're eating leafy greens, dig out your former baking mixing bowls to serve the salad in. Half an avocado would not be too much at all; and make the protein a required element of this meal.

 

Dinner: vegetables plus protein, and add fat - drizzle olive oil on the veggies, for instance.

 

Hungry between meals: remember nuts are a fat source, and they do cause some folks problems on Whole30 (either very addictive or cause bloating). If you're not in that category, eat a handful with some protein, say, um, tuna? Something like that.  You want a protein plus a fat here.

 

Sometimes you'll discover you're hungry enough to eat 4 or 5 template meals a day, and other days three will be enough.

 

Those suggestions aside, I would say that you sound like you have made a very smooth transition to a rather drastic food/lifestyle change, and that in itself is a huge benefit. Keep in mind, too, that the program is a 30 day program because often benefits take longer to happen than just a couple of weeks. Progress in health is rarely linear.

 

Really, I think you're doing great and I encourage you to carry on through. As a full time working mom of two daughters I do understand the added task of preparing a different meal for yourself and for your family - I try to keep most things the same, with, say spaghetti for the non-Whole30ers in my family and wilted winter greens for me, but the same sauce. It's not a perfect solution but it does get faster and more habitual.

 

Eat up, enjoy, and if the timeline doesn't fit you, eh, it never fit me either and I stuck around long enough that they made me a moderator! You never know.

[reece1932]

Hello,

 

I was wondering the same thing.  I am on day 8.  I've also gotten into a habit of daily alcohol consumption which was one of the many reasons I decided to do the program...resetting that relationship.  I actually have had little problems with most of the changes but I haven't seen any big changes yet.  I realize it takes time and I do notice I am getting better sleep but I am starting to be concerned that I am somehow not complying. 

 

I am exercising but not as much as I should.   I hope to make up for some of that on the weekend.   After spending all the time cooking, it is difficult especially given how long my work day and commute is.  I also sometimes have to eat dinner closer to bed time than several hours before.  In this situation, would it be better to just not eat dinner? 

 

I also find that to properly cook some food, I need to use more fat.  For instance, frying eggs requires more than 1 teaspon per egg to not stick to my pans.   I am not measuring how much I eat and am used to finishing my plate as a matter of course. I think I am eating about the right amount of protein and 2-3 cups of vegetables which each meal. I also often don't eat (or feel the need) for snacks during the day.

 

This actually goes to another long standing issue.  My hunger signals have been screwed up for years.  I will not get hungry for a very long time (or don't notice) and then become starving.  It is also difficult to notice the "I am satiated" signals, especially when I wasn't experiencing hunger.  In this situation, should I make myself eat the three meals, or only eat when I am experiencing hunger? Suggestions welcome.  I know I need breakfast and lunch so I guesss the main question is dinner.

 

Hope it is ok to jump on this thread rather than start a new one.  Seemed similar and figured it would be less cluttered.  If it is better to start a new one than commandeer, let me know.

 

Emily

[kirkor]

In this situation, would it be better to just not eat dinner? 

 

If it doesn't screw up your sleep, I'd say eat dinner. Otherwise you could get into a weird pattern of odd hunger, chasing calories, etc.

[AmyS]

Eat dinner! I have a daughter who has hunger cues similar to yours - from the outside, I can tell when she's hungry, but she can't always tell. It's best to plan in regular meals, because otherwise you end up with headaches and odd mood swings and things like that.

 

Try a big cook-up on weekends with lots of leftovers or just do a big veggie prep. Also, don't worry about making actual recipes, just follow the template. And - big hint - it's really hard to eat too much fat. Add more!

 

You're only 8 days in, so carry on, eat up, and give it time.

[reece1932]

Thanks.  As long as I am not breaking the rules (aka providing the best opportunity to see the affects), I will stick with eating dinner even if it is later.  I am not expecting miracles but wanted to make sure I wasn't accidently sabotaging my progress.

 

I have been doing a lot of prep on the weekend but still requires a fair amount of effort during the week, especially because I have one sink, no dishwasher, and small kitchen.   I tried Melissa's steam saute shortcut in Well Fed but it just isn't for me. I am also still adjusting to how much food is required when you cook everything. I cooked largely this way for a couple of weeks before I officially started and at that point, I was prepping for a family of four when it was just me.  Fortunately, it gave me an excuse to convert people to zuchinni noodles. As an aside, the Well Fed method is the way to with these.  Sweating the water out is essential and I even squeeze more water out before drying. 

 

I also haven't cooked a lot before so I am still a pretty slow cook.  I do look at recipes but don't follow them that closely.  I figure I will get more efficient the more I do it.  At least I am really enjoying the food I am making.