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Hey all! I'm doing my first Whole30 ever. I spent months prepping and priming myself to do something that scared me half out of my wits. (I have a legit sugar addiction and a lesser but still potent comfort/junk food addiction). I finally started on Wednesday, the 4th, so this is my fifth day.

I keep waiting for something to change - my body, my mood, my energy... NOTHING is happening. It's like I've not even changed anything except that I want sugar and junk food. But even that is perfectly normal! I crave things just as much as I did before, not more, not less. 

I've read avidly about the Whole30 "timeline" and others' experiences and none of it is happening for me! The only thing is that I feel depressed, listless, and outrageously anxious about food choices. Last night I had a nightmare that I gave up on the Whole30. (Not a "food dream", either) I woke up practically in tears.

 

What am I doing wrong?!?! I'm so afraid that I'll somehow push myself through these next 23 days, only to find at the end that nothing's improved.

 

My skin, which suffers from chronic acne, has cleared up SLIGHTLY, but it's barely noticeable. But when I was eating crap all the time but not eating gluten or white sugar then my skin was just as clear as it is now! I feel like I'm stressing and putting all this work in for nothing. 

 

Any help??

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Ok, breathe. :-)

Many people's experiences don't line up with the timeline: it doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong.

A gentle reminder that it's the Whole30, not the Whole5.

http://whole30.com/2014/01/whole30-tough-love/

If you'd like to see if you're on the right track, post 2-3 days worth of your food log, including sleep, water consumption and any exercise. Folks here can give you feedback on possible tweaks.

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you are on day 5. day 5. This is a 30 day program for a reason. 

 

Write down all the reasons you want to do the whole30. keep that in a safe place. If you run into any trouble (like hunger or low energy or digestive distress) stop by here and we will try to help you out, but for now be happy you aren't having ill effects.

 

Now is the time to stay the course.

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I've done more than 1 whole40 and I've never followed the timeline...this time I've wanted to cry for days...that never happened last time or the time before!

The timeline is a collection of numerous people's experiences...it is not a schedule or a guarantee but rather a map of what may be in front of you

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Thank you, everyone! In retrospect I supposed I seem a little silly. Too early to freak out, I guess! :-P

 

Here's a sample schedule (Sorry, I don't remember everything so I'm kinda guesstimating)

 

Woke up at 5:45, hit the alarming umpteen times, got up at 6:25. Started eating breakfast at 7:15, finished at 8:30.

Two eggs, a handful of fried prosciutto (so that it's similar to bacon but it's compliant - also it's really good dipped in sunny-side-up eggs!), red, orange, and yellow peppers, some mixed greens with olive oil and salt and pepper, iced coffee with full-fat coconut milk, and fruit-infused water.

 

Lunch at 2:00, finished around 3:00

Two potato cakes (white potatoes, egg, almond flour, spices), BIG bowl of mixed greens with olive oil and herbs, steamed asparagus, three spicy tuna cakes, lemon water.

 

Hot mug of Bengal Spice tea around 4:00 

 

Dinner at 7:00, finished around 8:00

Bowl of stew (broth, beef, peppers, onions, carrots, potatoes, compliant Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper), big bowl of mixed greens with the usual toppings, steamed asparagus, handful of green olives, fruit-infused water

 

Bedtime at 10:45.

 

I only listed the water that I have with meals, but I'm chuggin' all day long. I always add the juice of a whole lemon to a 16 oz. bottle of water, and I love it, so water consumption is never a problem for me.

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First I'm going to give you the same advice you were given in another thread - eat a lot more! Seriously eat! Feed yourself! Every meal should meet the food template.

 

Second, let yourself have more time to sleep. Going to be at 10:45 and setting the alarm for 5:45 is obviously not working and that extra time in bed hitting snooze is going to make you more tired and make you feel crappy all day. Do you need to be up at 5:45? If so get up and work on going to bed earlier. If not, set the alarm for when you do need to be up and get up when it goes off.

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Goodness! Eat more?! I honestly thought I was eating enough according to the template - maybe even too much! I seriously amped up my servings after the advice from the other thread... It already takes me like an hour to scarf this all down... I'm not sure how to get in more food! Also, I'm gaining weight... :-/ 

I'll definitely try to get to bed earlier, though.

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Goodness! Eat more?! I honestly thought I was eating enough according to the template - maybe even too much! I seriously amped up my servings after the advice from the other thread... It already takes me like an hour to scarf this all down... I'm not sure how to get in more food! Also, I'm gaining weight... :-/ 

I'll definitely try to get to bed earlier, though.

 

The template is the minimum. The real gauge is how satisfied you are after a meal and how long it carries you before you're hungry again. If you're doing it right, you're content after a meal and you're not hungry again for 4-5 hours. If these aren't taking place, then play round with your portions, the amount of protein and fat, and/or the kind of veggies you have (starchy veggies fill you up more, leafy greens not as much).

 

For the record, from what I can get from your description, I eat roughly as much as you do. This works for me since I'm a small guy and not very active either. But you'll get your own balance by listening to your body's signals.

 

Good luck!

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 Also, I'm gaining weight... :-/ 

 

You probably are not gaining fat. Have you checked out the timeline? You'll notice that at some points in the timeline, it is normal to feel bloated -- you're probably just going through one of those phases. Hang in there.

 

Also, the point of the Whole30 is to give your body plenty of nutrient-dense, nourishing food, so that it can operate at its very best. This is more than likely a change from how you've ever treated your body before, if you're like most of us, and it may take it a little while for it to know that all these nutrients and healthy stuff is all going to keep showing up regularly, so it may hold onto some weight at first, but ultimately, if you hang in there, it will get to the weight you need to be at.

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Sevensundrops

 

Relax.  Focus on getting some more sleep (seriously it helps with the weight factor - more than exercise)

 

Your meals do look a little small - but as GlennR points out - play around with your portion sizes until you are no longer hungry between meals.

 

Seriously, if it means cooking a big meal for breakfast eating part of it first, then packing up the rest and taking it along to eat later as a mini meal - then do that.  I had to do that too in the beginning.  Your body will adjust.

 

Compared to a lot of people here I am relatively inactive - but I am also recovering from a knee/hip injury - so the most I can do right now without causing joint stress is walk.  That being said, I have not gained weight either (well except for December - but that's another story) I am able to keep my weight stable, and my hormones happy.  Which are both huge successes for me.

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All good advice! Thank you! 

 

Is there such a thing as "too much" fat with my meals? I'm concerned that I'm consuming an imbalance of the three parts of the template. I like to add a fat like olives or guacamole, but there's also olive oil on my salads and ghee/coconut oil in the things I've cooked. Is it OK if I go over 1 - 2 portions of fat but I'm still eating the minimum in protein and vegetables?

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Is there such a thing as "too much" fat with my meals? 

 

Nope. If you find fat is so filling that you do not eat the template minimums for veggies and protein, then you can consider dialing back a bit, but as long as you meet the minimums in protein and veggies, you can add as much fat as you need/want for taste and or satiety.

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@MissMary, Will that cause me to gain weight? I'm hoping to lose 10+ lbs...

 
No. While you might "gain" during a short transition period, feeding your body nutrient dense foods and good fats does not tend to cause weight gain over the long term. In fact, many people lose weight eating this way.
 

So if I'm understanding you correctly, I must meet the minimum amounts given in the template, but I am permitted to eat more than the minimum for any or all aspects?

 

Correct. Consider the template a minimum, and increase as needed until you can go 4-5 hours between meals without getting hungry.

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Thanks! Something I'm wondering, though: Is it normal to take 1+ hours to finish a meal? It takes me SO long to get through eating these massive meals, especially when I try to eat more mindfully instead of scarfing it all down during a 25 minute show. I can last 4+ hours after eating, but it takes me so long to get through a meal that I find my lunches and dinners being pushed later and later.

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Is it normal to take 1+ hours to finish a meal? It takes me SO long to get through eating these massive meals, especially when I try to eat more mindfully instead of scarfing it all down during a 25 minute show.

 

I don't take quite so long to eat a meal, but I would say it is definitely better to take your time than to rush. Are you doing other things during your meal? If you have been distracted by tv or the internet or a book I would try to focus on eating mindfully and setting those things aside, but if you are simply eating don't worry about how long it takes to eat.

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I don't take quite so long to eat a meal, but I would say it is definitely better to take your time than to rush. Are you doing other things during your meal? If you have been distracted by tv or the internet or a book I would try to focus on eating mindfully and setting those things aside, but if you are simply eating don't worry about how long it takes to eat.

 

No, I tend to just sit and eat. I have eaten breakfast at work a few times and also dinner in front of a movie, but even when I didn't do anything then it just took me ages! I'm not used to eating so much in one sitting. Also, I tend to feel sick if I eat "real food" quickly - which is odd since pre-Whole30 I could inhale McD's french fries in no time at all!

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Thanks! Something I'm wondering, though: Is it normal to take 1+ hours to finish a meal? It takes me SO long to get through eating these massive meals, especially when I try to eat more mindfully instead of scarfing it all down during a 25 minute show. I can last 4+ hours after eating, but it takes me so long to get through a meal that I find my lunches and dinners being pushed later and later.

 

I'm a slow eater, too (though I don't take an hour). I've always attributed it to not having any brothers, only sisters. No competition at the dinner table. My best buds who grew up with brothers inhale their foods, a habit they learned out of self-preservation.

 

Take your time.  :)

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