Day 24 and I'm a GI Mess!

[ChronicOptimist]

Thank you all in advance for any advice you may have!

 

I'm on day 24 of my first Whole30 and I'm just not feeling well.  I experienced a major "hangover" on days 1-3, but then days 4-10 I felt pretty great.  I had a lot of energy and I was laser focused in class (I'm a medical student, so that's important!).  Around day 11 I suddenly stopped getting hungry.  Ever.  I made myself eat three meals a day because I know I should, but hunger never compelled me to eat.  I was hanging on until "Tiger Blood," whatever that might mean to me, but things are seeming to get worse.

 

I'm still only hungry very, very rarely.  I'm often feeling bloated or even a little nauseated.  I often will go a full day without a bowel movement, and when I do go, it's not "healthy" if you know what I mean (sorry for the gritty details).  My skin is a pimple-y mess and I just generally feel "unwell."  I can tell my clothes are looser, despite the bloating, but I was really thinking by this point my body would be like a well-oiled machine!  I'm especially frustrated because I've never eaten clean in my life.  I technically ate "low calorie," but by that I mean I was all about Diet Coke, deli meat, low calorie processed snacks, etc.  Shouldn't I be feeling amazing by now?

 

For reference, my usual day looks like this:

 

Breakfast: two eggs cooked in coconut oil (I tried having some veggies with my breakfast but I'm so not hungry in the morning I just can't choke them down)

Lunch: four sirloin/turkey blend meatballs on zucchini noodles in homemade marinara sauce and a piece of fruit (apple or pear usually); sometimes I'll have a chicken breast with some guacamole instead of the meatballs.

Dinner: varies, but must regularly a piece of either tuna or salmon cooked in olive oil with roasted broccoli and mushrooms tossed in coconut oil

Snack: very rare, but if I have one it would be some raw cashews

 

Please let me know if you see anything I'm doing wrong!  I'd love to finish this out feeling great!

 

[ladyshanny]

So sorry that you're not feeling well! It's a bit hard to tell from what you posted but my first thought is that you aren't eating enough overall, for sure not enough veggies (for your b'rooming habits). We recommend 2-4 cups per meal and more if it's salad greens. I also don't see very much fat in your meals.

Bloated and nauseous, I'm thinking that's your stomach trying to balance gut flora with the new food but not really getting enough of anythign to do so. Same wiht your reduced appetite.

You can also add a serving of starchy veggie with at least one meal per day as this will help with the bathrooming also.

[danamck26]

I am having the SAME EXACT issues.  This is my second round of Whole 30 (I completed my first back in October) and I feel NOTHING like I did last time, as far as the stomach issues are concerned.  My energy is great, concentration is good too.  I, too, don't feel hungry and feel like I have to make myself eat.   I am on day 25 and my stomach has been in "knots" most of the time which is nothing like last time.  I feel like my eating habits have been the same from my previous Whole 30.  The only difference this time is that I am including caffeine (one cup of black coffee in the morning) and I have eaten the Rx Bars this go round. 

 

Any thoughts on what could be going wrong???

[ssalch]

I'm right there with you both!  I'm on day 25.  Haven't had a real poo in days.  Here's my menu this week:

 

Meal 1:  1/4 of an egg, leek & no sugar bacon casserole (about 2-3 eggs); 1/2 roasted sweet potato

Meal 2:  1/4 of a ground beef & plantain casserole (approx 1/4 lb meat); small amount of roasted sweet potato, huge serving of roasted cauliflower & carrots

Meal 3:  shredded chicken breast mixed w/ 1 avocado, red onion, tomatoes, wrapped in lettuce; roasted sweet potatoes and carrots, 1 apple

 

I also drink several cups of high quality green tea each day.  After every meal I look like Buddha my belly is so huge.  I ate fairly clean and healthy before this, but with a lot of wine and cheese.  

[Guest Andria]

Water intake (AT LEAST 1/2 your weight in ounces per day), probiotics, digestive enzymes and Magnesium are all beneficial for digestion issues.

[crunch]

I've pretty much mirrored this too. I've increased my starchy fruit/veg, including banana at breakfast, potatoes at lunch and dinner. It's made a huge difference, I feel back on track now, more how I was feeling day 4-10. Hang in there. I also find mint tea fab for and bloating issues.

[dawnd]

I am the same!!! I feel awful in my belly! I went three days without a bowl movement and then.... Bam!!! Not good!! I think I might not be getting enough starch either. I used to be the most regular person! This is very discouraging!! NO clue if I have lost any weight, need to lose about 25- 30 lbs, but I am on day 21 and I really expected to feel better!!! I plenty of water and take an enzyme with every meal and just stared some probiotics a week ago!! I really just want to be healthy first. Weight loss can come second!!

Breakfast assorted greens sauteed in ghee with 2-3 eggs, berries with coconut cream/ shredded whole.

Lunch veggie bone broth soup, turkey burger, quac, and half sweet potato

Dinner grass fed steak, roasted butternut squash with coconut oil and cabbage/ cauliflower.

I don't get it!!!