Week One Report - Some Questions

[Caryl]

I am happy to report that week one is coming to a close. I am so proud of myself for even making it this far. If you only knew my struggles up to this point.... (I am sure most of you can imagine.)

Anyway, successes for this week:

*I am sleeping better already and waking up feeling rested! I have not slept well in years. Seriously.

* Numbness and tingling in my hands and forearms during sleep is GONE. This is a HUGE deal for me. I started waking up in the middle of the night with numb hands about 2 years ago. I went to my doc and long story short, had carpal tunnel surgery in my right hand. The symptoms were in my left hand too, but not as bad. The numbness was gone for a few months and then came back full force in both hands. I have been having trouble sleeping because of this for over a year, waking up MULTIPLE times a night. No numbness and tingling since day 3!!!!

*I FEEL BETTER overall. My mood is better, I wake up feeling lighter.... I just feel better.

*Day 4, the sugar cravings hit, BAD. I am so glad I had my husband to encourage me. I stayed the course and didn't eat anything sweet. It was tough, however!! But I felt really good for being good.

Things I have noticed that I don't like so much:

*My face is breaking out. I am 31 and have had pretty even skin (with the exception of pregnancy) for years. Now, during week one, it seems to be going bonkers. Anyone experience this?

*HEADACHES!! One of the reasons I am doing The Whole 30 is to see if my food choices have exacerbated my migraines all these years. I have been on every kind of migraine med and still have them. I have had 2 migraines this week, and a few headaches to a lesser degree. I hope this passes!!!

*Here comes TMI: My poo is strange. I am usually constipated, but now, when I feel the urge, I have to go RIGHT THEN. And when I do go, it's a very strange color and consistency. It's much lighter in color and much softer. Not runny, just soft. And I have also been feeling crampy after most meals. From what I have heard about the effect this Whole 30 has on the gut as far as healing, this is probably normal, right?? And, Good Lord, the FARTS! WOW. I am a lady, and I don't like to fart, but WOW. Does this get better??

Ok, so that was the Q&A part of my post.

Yesterday was my birthday, and I thought I handled the party pretty well. I came armed with a my own food - here is how I did:

I made a roasted garlic broccoli dish (broccoli, chopped fresh garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper) - YUM. And I made a fruit salad (grapes, strawberries, peaches - YUM) and then I also brought olives and a container of macadamia nuts, and then I grilled some spinach and chicken sausages. I LOVED my meal! I actually felt pretty good eating my stuff and looking around at others eating the junk that I knew would make them feel yucky. In fact, several people said they were stuffed.... I don't miss that. And I blew out my candles on the cake, and when they served it, I sorta disappeared for a while. (It was multiple people's birthdays)

No cake for me! I had to disappear because cake and ice cream are a weakness of mine. I thought I would miss Coke Zero and cheese the most, but really, I think I miss sweets and desserts the most right now. So I dealt with it by getting away from watching everyone eat it in front of me.

We are headed out to an amusement park today, so I am going to get off here and pack my cooler!

Looking forward to week 2 and beyond!!!

[Derval]

Happy belated birthday, well done on those positive changes in just one week!

[Renee Lee]

Hey Caryl,

It's tough to address with any certainty the stuff you're concerned about. The first couple of weeks of a W30 are kinda crazy for everybody (depending on how you were eating prior to the W30 and how you personally react to food), so everything you mentioned could just be from your body trying to figure out what the hell you're doing to it and trying to play catchup.

The acne could be hormone related, and switching over to a W30 from a SAD is definitely hell on your hormones. Headaches could be the same thing, or it could be sugar/caffeine withdrawals, etc.

It could be something else, but it's really too early to be able to make the distinction. Just make sure you're eating enough and you're feeling satisfied, I think you're good to go!

Let us know if it lasts through day 14ish!

[Laura B]

*Here comes TMI: My poo is strange. I am usually constipated, but now, when I feel the urge, I have to go RIGHT THEN. And when I do go, it's a very strange color and consistency. It's much lighter in color and much softer. Not runny, just soft. And I have also been feeling crampy after most meals. From what I have heard about the effect this Whole 30 has on the gut as far as healing, this is probably normal, right?? And, Good Lord, the FARTS! WOW. I am a lady, and I don't like to fart, but WOW. Does this get better??

Hey Caryl, congrats on your first week!

As a girl whose day is ruined if she does not poop...I understand. What you are describing is similar to my own poop (I completed my W30 on Aug 9. I went on vacation and most of my meals were still W30). I have also noticed that mine are a bit greasy, I think that is from all the fat I eat. Anyways...I think our poops are supposed to be soft and I also think they are supposed to be a little urgent. Think about a caveman having to poop. He didn't lean against a tree for 30 minutes with a newspaper. He probably went right when he had to go. I get the same sense of urgency you are describing, so I think you are OK. That or we are both messed up

As for the gas, mine actually went away almost completely during my W30. I was a very very gassy girl beforehand, and sometimes I am when I get stressed. It probably has a lot to do with the food you are eating. Do you eat a lot of broccoli or leafy veggies? I think they create a lot of gas in our bellies.

I would suggest taking digestive enzymes with your meals if you aren't already (I went through 2 bottles during my W30 and am going to see how I do without) and drinking a couple of kombuchas a week. This has helped my digestion out a lot. Also...don't think about it too much. Enjoy the Whole 30 and put concerns at the back of your mind. I think this helped me the most.

[Caryl]

Thank you very much for the feedback.

I am on Day 9 and still feel pretty good. I have been waking up with a headache almost every day, but they are not as bad as they were when I first started. I was a BAD caffiene addict, so I suspect this has a lot to do with it.

I have had nothing but water to drink since I started - it's amazing how much MORE water one drinks when you stop drinking soda!!! I have been keeping a jug of water and lemon slices in the fridge and it's very satisfying!

My abdominal issues do seem to be getting better. On the day I posted, it was the worst day for gas and poo, and it hasn't been as bad since. I was pretty worried that day, since I was pretty uncomforatable.

I am just going to keep on truckin'!

Feelin' good!