Day 28 & I am so over it.

[amandaleeann]

Here I am, day 30, and I feel like death warmed over. I made it to today only due to the fact that last night my husband made dinner, and the thought of going one more day feeling like this makes me want to cry. I felt better during the first week of this round than I do at the very, very end. Does anyone have any idea or suggestions of what the heck I'm doing wrong?

 

This is my third attempt at Whole30. The first time I made it to day 21, the second time I made it to day 27 (I know). So I'm pretty determined to make it to the end this time around, but at the same time I'm wondering "why bother?" even though it's not called the Whole28.

The first two times, my skin looked GREAT. This time it won't stop breaking out and my back has even gotten in on the action. I am sleeping less and less great as time goes on, and having scary dreams (more 'I got fired and no one will tell me why' and not so much 'I just want to eat the popcorn') to boot. I've had a low grade headache almost every day, and way more tension in my shoulders - my guess is from tossing and turning. I haven't exercised a single minute since the first of the month because all my free time goes to the kitchen - shopping, prepping, cooking, cleaning up, making sure my husband and I both have lunch for the next day, etc.

I'm not having food boredom - everything tastes great and I know it's good for me, but why do I feel so bad?

I haven't had enough water this week, but I started a new job Monday (hello, stressful transition) and going to the bathroom every ten minutes isn't really an option.

Typical day:
M1 2 Scotch eggs, sweet potato w/ ghee, berries, mayo/avocado
M2 leftovers, normally chicken w/ veggies and avocado and an apple
M3 last night was 2 eggs, a chicken sausage, a sweet potato, avocado and cherry tomatoes

I am full at every meal and can go until the next one with no snacking.

I sound like a whiny child and am well aware of it. I go to sleep thinking "maybe tomorrow I'll get a hit of tiger blood" and wake up feeling like I have a hangover - without any fun to deserve to be there. Help!

[Brooklyn esq.]

Hi Amandaleean. I don't have much advice to offer W30-wise but I wanted to express my sympathy. It sounds like you have a lot going on! It's so demoralizing when you don't get the results you want (from anything!). I'm feeling pretty bad today (day 22), so I kind of understand where you're coming from. I thought I'd offer a few thoughts, which ended up being pretty long! (And, as I re-read it, so much of this is advice to myself!)

 

1. Sleep--why are you sleeping less? Is it the stress? Do you have some stress management techniques you can use to ensure you get better sleep? A few things I've tried:

-I have lots of pain in my shoulders/neck--check if the pillow you're using is supporting your head correctly. Try stretching your neck and shoulders before bed and/or use a heating pad to relax those muscles.

-You can google meditation "body scans" recordings to use as you're lying in bed. These help you move over your body inch by inch looking for hidden sources of tension.

-I've gotten off my sleep schedule over the last couple of days because it was the weekend--and I'm coming to think that it's really bad for me to deviate like that. Can you set strict bedtimes and waketimes and stick to them for several days to see if things improve?

-Check your sleep hygiene--no laptops/cell phones 1 hour before bed, eliminate extra sources of light, use a humidifier if the air is dry, take sources of stress (like work papers or laptops) out of the bedroom.

 

2. Water: I know you don't want to use the bathroom all the time but for me getting dehydrated is a major issue. Try increasing your intake, even a little bit.

 

3. Exercise: I totally get where you're coming from with not having time because of the food prep. It is indeed exhausting and time consuming--a few thoughts on this below. But getting some exercise in can help improve sleep, reduce stress, give you more energy, etc. Take a 30-minute walk 3 times a week--maybe ask your husband to pick up an extra chore so you can make this happen, or do it during your lunch break?

 

4. Food prep and time: I really really love cooking and get bored easily. But even I have to realize that sometimes I can't eat different things at every meal for a period of time. So I set aside one day to prep some things in large quantities and purchase "short-cut" ingredients that make my cooking life easier. Then I commit to eating the same for a few days so I can make time to do the other things I need to do (like sleep and exercise).

For large quantities, I do this: make a big pot of chili; roast a bunch of chicken thighs and sweet potatoes; boil a dozen eggs.

For shortcuts, I use: my favorite brand of frozen broccoli and greenbeans, prewashed salad greens, prewashed and chopped kale, peeled & cubed butternut squash, precut raw veggies.

 

Good luck to you, with the Whole30 and with your new job!

[sfbaymama]

Hi Amandaleeann,

 

I don't have any big words of advice either...other than to empathize. 

 

You truly have a lot going on and I wish you the best with it.

 

Hugs!

Tanya