Loulabelle Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 So my 30 days are up and I have to say I really love this way of eating, it's not too far removed from how I eat normally so sticking to the plan was not too difficult. I only had one tiny glimpse of tiger blood 2 weeks in and it has been hiding from me every since which has been disappointing but having said that my energy levels are very steady, I haven't had 3pm slumps since a couple of days in. I really would have liked to be more of a tiger! I didn't eat sugar previously so had no sugar dragon to slay; mine was a bread dragon which I think is sleeping peacefully now as I have no desire to eat bread at all. I think I have an even healthier relationship with food, sticking to the plan laid my eating demons before me to see in the cold light of day where there is no place to hide. My binging on carbs when bored or depressed or well whatever there didn't have to be a reason I just did, is hopefully a thing of the past. But I also realise that bread or rice or pasta never really made me feel full so I always ate too much of it when not bingeing so there is not really much point in eating them again. My sleep was disturbed a lot of the time during my 30 days, I don't think I prioritised it enough so I still need to change that and get to bed earlier. I'd really love to sleep more. As I was tired all the time I never got round to doing any exercise; I really, really need to change that. I have to focus more on a holistic approach to my entire well being, food was the start now I need to add exercise and relaxation to my life. My main goal of doing the W30 was not weight loss but reading about all the success stories made me hope to lose a couple of kg's instead I put them on! I'm actually really disappointed about this as I wasn't expecting this weight gain but I'm trying not to be disheartened about it as I lost 15cm overall including 7cm off my waist. I know the number on the scale isn't everything and I have had compliments about how I am looking so I intend to keep off the scale and keep on eating correctly and with exercise tone up and muscle weighs more than fat right? I'm going to keep on eating as I am eating now, the only addition to my diet for now is going to be a smidgen of steamed milk in my morning coffee. That is the only thing I really missed for the last 30 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Tom Denham Posted March 4, 2015 Moderators Share Posted March 4, 2015 You are right to prioritize sleep. I work pretty hard at it and still am not a good sleeper. However, I come close to getting 8 hours every night. Good sleep for me depends upon eating breakfast early in the day, avoiding dairy, getting some sunshine during the day, avoiding caffeine after lunch, eating one or two servings of starchy veggies like potatoes or parsnips, finishing supper roughly two hours before bed time, exercising modest amounts during the day, avoiding computer screens in the last few hours of the day, and probably a few more things. I take a magnesium supplement just before bed every day and occasionally take time-release melatonin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loulabelle Posted March 4, 2015 Author Share Posted March 4, 2015 Thanks Tom. I do probably half of those things already though seeing them all written out in black & white likes that makes me realise the rest of what I have to do. Do you think gaining weight and bad sleep can be related? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GFChris Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 Do you think gaining weight and bad sleep can be related? Yes and ... your body composition changed!!! You lost 15cm!! I would put more value on that change vs. a number on a scale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loulabelle Posted March 4, 2015 Author Share Posted March 4, 2015 I do, the weight gain just took me by surprise given that everybody seems to lose while doing W30. I'm over the moon about the 15cm :-) Yes and ... your body composition changed!!! You lost 15cm!! I would put more value on that change vs. a number on a scale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Tom Denham Posted March 4, 2015 Moderators Share Posted March 4, 2015 I think my weight loss of 2 pounds per month for 15 months in a row when I started eating Whole30-style was all about sleep improvements. At least, that is what I thought at the time. As disappointing as my sleep is now, it was worse before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loulabelle Posted March 4, 2015 Author Share Posted March 4, 2015 OK, more sleep it is then. And exercise, I've been promising myself I'd exercise for too long I have to actually do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loulabelle Posted May 1, 2015 Author Share Posted May 1, 2015 It's now 2 months since I did my whole30 so I thought I'd give a wee update on how I'm doing. The 2kg's I put on during my W30 have gone along with another 2 on top of that (I think, I don't actually weigh myself so much). I've also shrunk more, my clothes fit so much better and I can get into things I couldn't back in January. Food wise I stick pretty much to the meal templates and this way of eating, it really does suit me. I do ride my own bike by having the odd off-plan thing, I just enjoyed some dark chocolate for the first time in months. Mostly though I am slowly introducing things banned from the normal food list for AIP to see what happens with them. I did have some allergy testing done and found out I am allergic to apples, bananas, eggs and a-amylase enzyme which is found in grains so no more of any of them for me. I'm going to miss bananas as I really enjoy them and eggs for the quick easy protein. I found that over the 3 months since I started this my moods are much more even, I don't tend to get bouts of anxiety any more and I'm more even tempered not that I was very bad tempered before. The couple of days I did eat bread that all changed, I really didn't like the person I became after eating wheat, totally lethargic and apathetic. Even if I could eat grains I would now choose not to. I love, love, love that I no longer have afternoon slumps, they have never come back. My eczema, which was my main reason for starting this, is so much better. I still get little bits but nothing like what it was before. I can't tell you how happy I am about this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Andria Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 That's great news, Loulabelle! I am curious did the weight drop off after you excluded those foods to which you tested allergic? I totally hear you on the effects of wheat. Besides the fatigue and slowing down of digestion wheat causes me, most of the effects for me are mental/emotional. Keep on Whole30 - ishing on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loulabelle Posted May 1, 2015 Author Share Posted May 1, 2015 So far my weight loss has been slow & steady. I only excluded the foods I am allergic to about 10 days ago and I haven't weighed my self since then but I think my belly has become even less bloated. I'll weigh myself at some point in the next few weeks and report back if I've lost even more, I am only about 5kg more than I think I should be so I don't have masses to lose so it may be slow (which is fine for me). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeadowLily Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 So far my weight loss has been slow & steady. I only excluded the foods I am allergic to about 10 days ago and I haven't weighed my self since then but I think my belly has become even less bloated. I'll weigh myself at some point in the next few weeks and report back if I've lost even more, I am only about 5kg more than I think I should be so I don't have masses to lose so it may be slow (which is fine for me). Loulabelle....everytime I see the title of your thread, my mind sees Day 31 and a Mixed Bag of Nuts. Congratulations on your good results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmob Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Having only non-scale victories is kinda tough. I think we are so conditioned to feel victory only when the scale moves in a downward direction. I think doing Whole30 with a friend and taking a picture of each meal and describing how you cooked it helps to make sure that you are following whole 30 correctly. Reread the books and see if you have different results with tiger blood during the 2nd round. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loulabelle Posted August 19, 2015 Author Share Posted August 19, 2015 It's been another couple of months so time for an other update. I'm still eating W30 style nearly every meal, I don't really off road too much and when I do I don't feel guilty about it as I make a concious decision for everything that I eat. I do drink wine and or a couple of gins every weekend which I really enjoy. My energy levels are good and I can head out at lunchtime for a 30k bike ride and feel great afterwards. Afternoon slumps are really a thing of the past; my energy levels tend to be very consistent throughout the day. The only time I have problems is if I don't eat a proper breakfast! I cannot stress enough to any new people just how important this is, if breakfast is not good that is when my energy levels go screwy and I become ravenously hungry in the afternoon. My skin is still doing fantastically, my eczema has little flare ups occasionally but nothing major. I'm still losing weight too, I jumped on the scale this morning to find I am at my lightest in many years but I don't really care about that as my clothes are fitting me wonderfully and I am buying some things in smaller sizes now. I never have to wear Spanx any-more :-) This slow and steady weight loss has been incredibly satisfying after the initial shock of gaining 2kg wore off and the reality of NSV's seeped into my conciousness. It feels like it is a proper, real & most importantly permanent change to where my body would like to be rather then where I wish it to be. So for all of you who are disappointed at not losing lots of weight in 30 days I can only recommend to be like Dory and just keep swimming, positivity and treating yourself to great nourishing food wins in the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmcbn Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 It feels like it is a proper, real & most importantly permanent change to where my body would like to be rather then where I wish it to be. So for all of you who are disappointed at not losing lots of weight in 30 days I can only recommend to be like Dory and just keep swimming, positivity and treating yourself to great nourishing food wins in the end. ^Love this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara Helene Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Love your progress and your updates, thanks for sharing:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loulabelle Posted September 16, 2015 Author Share Posted September 16, 2015 OK now I have a real problem. I got my winter clothes up from the cellar and all my dresses that I love to wear are way too big for me! Since my last update I have dropped more weight and at least another 4cm off my waist; my UK size 12 clothes no longer fit me. I'm going to have to look at getting a lot of my clothes taken in This week I have met up with people I have not seen in years and the compliments I received on how good I look, not just physically but mentally were rather flattering to my ego . Everyone said separately how happy & content I look and those were the best compliments of all! I put that down to the food I eat making me feel so damn good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrots&Blueberries Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 Thank you for continuing to update! It's so nice to see this sequence of your posts over time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loulabelle Posted November 6, 2015 Author Share Posted November 6, 2015 Things are still going fantastically! Since my last update I spent almost 3 weeks travelling around South Africa where it was surprisingly easy to stay compliant. We Braai'd mostly so lots of delicious meat and veggies cooked over wood fires. When we stayed in catered places I did have to resort to a pile of bacon & avocado for breakfast a couple of times but the bacon there is very thick & meaty therefore could count as protein. Biltong, which is sort of similar to beef jerky but much better, was a god send for the long drives we had to do so I never went hungry. I still feel wonderful eating the majority of my meals W30 style, my skin is great, my mood is fantastic despite a couple very stressful events & I'm still losing weight. I'm now the lightest I have been in 15 years! I don't obsess about what I weight though as it does fluctuate up and down a little but my belly is again flat and my clothes are all too big. I jump on the scale occasionally out of interest more than anything and also as a bit of an experiment in fluctuation, it really does yo-yo up and down depending on time of day, month or whatever. The obsession that we have with the number in that little window is such an evil thing, why should we allow that to determine how we feel about ourselves? We are all so much more than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cleanandclear Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 Hi Loulabelle, Thanks so much for continuing to post your results. I am on day 6 today and not feeling particularly enthusiastic so reading through this thread has inspired me enormously! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericadeep Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 Hello, this is my first day here. I'm actually not starting the program until the 16th as the Whole30 book suggested I wait until my upcoming trip. I have been struggling with food choices for a long time, researching and trying to learn about what healthy really means for me. My skin has little bumps on it, I always feel bloated, I have gained 25 pounds in the last year, and I get lathargic every afternoon. I walk, do yoga and strength train for exercise. Since I am pretty active, I really feel like it is the food in my life that is making see and feel all these symptoms. I really like to cook so I'm hoping that will be one thing I don't have to worry about. My partner REALLY likes to go out to eat, but from what I've read it just isn't a great idea in the upcoming 30 days. I'm okay with that, but he is going to be an obstacle. He has agreed to eat and love:) what I make at home for him, so maybe that will help. Is there anything I can do to get ready for next week? I've already started drinking my coffee black and made lots of changes to my food choices. I would really appreciate any suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burgards Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 Hello, this is my first day here. I'm actually not starting the program until the 16th as the Whole30 book suggested I wait until my upcoming trip. I have been struggling with food choices for a long time, researching and trying to learn about what healthy really means for me. My skin has little bumps on it, I always feel bloated, I have gained 25 pounds in the last year, and I get lathargic every afternoon. I walk, do yoga and strength train for exercise. Since I am pretty active, I really feel like it is the food in my life that is making see and feel all these symptoms. I really like to cook so I'm hoping that will be one thing I don't have to worry about. My partner REALLY likes to go out to eat, but from what I've read it just isn't a great idea in the upcoming 30 days. I'm okay with that, but he is going to be an obstacle. He has agreed to eat and love:) what I make at home for him, so maybe that will help. Is there anything I can do to get ready for next week? I've already started drinking my coffee black and made lots of changes to my food choices. I would really appreciate any suggestions. hi Ericadeep, my advice would be to think about habits that are going to be hard to break, and get started on that right away. For me it was sugarless gum (SOOOO much gum! what was I thinking? It was force of habit, I had no idea how much I was chewing) and diet soda in the afternoon. For some folks it seems to be the drink while cooking dinner, or whatever. Those are tough ones and you already have enough changes going on. The other thing is setting aside Sunday afternoon or some day to do a batch cook and make tons of stuff that it's easy to grab and go (for me, this was tuna salad variations, some form of veg/chicken casserole, and tons of different roasted veggies and squash). Then you can mix and match when you are starving, or throw something quickly into tupperware for work. go buy tupperware if you don't have lots already! good luck, you'll do fine. And thanks so much, Loulabelle, you are a true inspiration! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegoldengrahamgirl Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 ...I still feel wonderful eating the majority of my meals W30 style, my skin is great, my mood is fantastic despite a couple very stressful events & I'm still losing weight. I'm now the lightest I have been in 15 years! I don't obsess about what I weight though as it does fluctuate up and down a little but my belly is again flat and my clothes are all too big. I jump on the scale occasionally out of interest more than anything and also as a bit of an experiment in fluctuation, it really does yo-yo up and down depending on time of day, month or whatever. The obsession that we have with the number in that little window is such an evil thing, why should we allow that to determine how we feel about ourselves? We are all so much more than that. THIS!!! I guess now I am in good company if I end up not losing any weight on my first thirty days. It's a shame I didn't take actual measurements before I started (I was all "numbered out" after ten months of IIFYM). I'll just have to gauge how my clothes fit and my happiness and comfort in my own (smoother, clearer) skin! Cheers, -Lauren (GGG) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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