any 30-somethings out there?

[laurajfrog]

I'm 36, almost 37 and I feel like my body has just decided it's not going to work with me anymore.  Until recently, I've been a solid 127 lbs.  The only time I gained was when I was pregnant.  I have three kids (and am not planning more).  Now, I'm fighting tooth and nail to stay under 140.  I'm not restricting at all since I've been on whole 30, and I'm on day 28.  I feel pretty good except for a bad spell a couple mornings ago that I think was low blood sugar.  I haven't been on the scale but I feel like I've gained weight.  I did a whole 30 a little over a year ago and I remember feeling slim through the stomach, even at night, and I lost 6 lbs.  Now, at night I feel bloated and heavy.  I've been working out, drinking water, following the template, not snacking, and keeping nuts and fruit to a minimum.  So, what the heck?  I have a hard time with the idea that, just because I'm 36 I have to accept that I can't lose these 10 lbs.  Has anyone else had this happen?  What did you do?  I really don't want to buy new clothes!!

[MeadowLily]

How do you eat inbetween your Whole 30's?   Do you eat less than on a Whole 30?

[Zoe]

Hi Laurajfrog

Have you had your thyroid checked ?

My body crashed a few years after my 3 child was born 

Not only did it knock out my thyroid function but all my female hormones (and I suspect some adrenal function) 

Weight has been an absolute struggle since then - resulting in over exercising and under eating - resulting in being wrecked

BUT

I did a W30 before Christmas and stabilized and I am on an AIP W30 now and again feeling pretty stable (with a significantly reduced exercise regime) so fingers crossed that the weight is stable

Much as we love our babies they can be hard on the body

Hope this helps 

Zoe

[laurajfrog]

Yes, it seems like I eat less between whole 30's, although I tend not to track and measure so I don't make myself obsessive.  When I'm on whole 30 I always feel like I'm eating like a linebacker.  I haven't had my thyroid checked.  As a matter of fact, I can't remember the last time I had any regular blood work done.  Maybe it's time to do that.  Now that you mention reduced exercise, I'm realizing that during my first whole 30 I didn't do much exercise at all.  I just didn't have the energy.  I have been working out 3-4 times per week during this one (mostly weight circuits with a little running).  I found myself struggling through workouts so I started adding more sweet potato during the day.  Could the extra bump in carbs make me puff up?  I'll look into AIP, too.  Thanks!

[MeadowLily]

If you were a previous tracker, you can probably eyeball everything today and know exactly where you stand.  Reduced amounts pre Whole 30 vs. increased Whole 30 amounts are going to make you feel differently.   The only kind of real food carbs that will make you puff up are eating too many nuts;  and snacking on dried fruits, nut butters instead of using them for cooking purposes as recommended and eating far more fruits than recommended vegetables....Oooooh, and those dried fruit/nut bars where the true bump in carbs comes from.

 

Other than that, there's not really anything that will cause you to puff or swell unless you can't handle some of the vegetables due to digestive troubles.

[Hannlib]

I'm 35. While 30 eating is good for me and has inspired me to restart some actual exercise for the first time in 6 years or so. Now my anterior knee pain is causing me bother, my sciatica is playing up and I've realised I need to get my umbilical hernia repaired. Different issues to you but yep I really really feel like my body is failing me ....

[AmyS]

Hi, sorry for the delayed response - I thought you were looking for a support group of similar-aged folks, not asking a troubleshooting question - my bad!

 

Could you post a couple of days' worth of meals, water intake, sleep, exercise, stress levels, and anything else you might want us to take into consideration? Then we can help you troubleshoot.

 

As for your concerns about weight, that's a tough one because we're so conditioned to think of weight as a measure of health. It may or may not be. So let us help you identify what may or may not be working for you with your Whole30ing, and maybe that will give you something that will help.

[laurajfrog]

I've been really trying to get my water intake up by adding cucumber to it.  It seems to be helping.  I'd guess I average 2 quarts of water/day.  A typical day for me is

 

Breakfast: 2-3 egg scramble with peppers,onions, mushrooms, 1/2 an avocado, and hot sauce.  Coffee w/coconut milk

Lunch: Leftover protein and veggies (ie. leftover grilled chicken over leftover broccoli with some sunshine sauce) mashed sweet potato

Dinner: meatballs and zoodles with compliant pasta sauce or hamburger over salad with homemade mayo/homemade ketchup/mustard "dressing"

I usually have some unsweetened hot tea in the evening 

On occasion (maybe twice per week) I'll have an apple with some almond butter after lunch if I'm still hungry.  I've been trying really hard to stay away from fruit and nuts and I'm doing well not snacking.  I've added some sweet potato to my noon meal to help my energy in my workouts.  I usually work out after lunch so I don't eat a separate pre workout meal.  After workout I try to have a boiled egg or some chicken for protein.  

My sleep is good.  I usually get 7-8 hours per night (sometimes interrupted by bad dreams or accidents).  I perceive my stress to be fairly low.  I home school my three kids, so there is always some frustration.  

I wouldn't be concerned about my weight so much, but my clothes feel snug and uncomfortable.  

[AmyS]

Well, your meals look pretty good, though you might try upping your starchy carbs at meal 3 in particular - since you report still feeling hungry after meals sometimes. The thing is, if you get/stay hungry, your body will hold on to anything it gets - so it's better to eat to satiation at every meal/mini-meal and let your body know that more will be coming as needed.

 

Would you possibly be at a point in your cycle where most of us tend to feel a bit bloated?

 

Is there anything about this Whole30 that is significantly different for you than your first Whole30? I know that's a weird question, since time has passed and all sorts of things are different - I've done enough Whole30s to have had some fantastic ones and some really awful ones, so I know this is a strange question. But if there might be something in particular that stands out as different, that might help in further troubleshooting.

[laurajfrog]

I'm sure that some of my bloat is cycle related, but even prior to that I was still feeling this way.  I can't really remember my other whole 30 other than some of the recipes I tried.  Maybe I'm eating too much broccoli or cauliflower?  They are cooked, but I tend to make a large amount so I'll have plenty of left overs.  I remember having lots of soup the first time I did whole 30.  Maybe that's a difference?  I usually cook a chicken, make broth, then make soup.  I know I need to keep feeding myself this way because it makes sense.  I'm dreaming every night whereas I used to never dream (or at least never remember them).  I don't know that it's really a NSV, but it's kind of cool.  So, would it make sense to keep going for a while to see if my body responds better over time, or just take a break and try again in a few months?

[laurajfrog]

Haha, after re-reading one of my posts above, I want to point out that my sleep is interrupted by my kids waking me up after they have a bad dream or an accident.  It sounded like they were my bad dreams and accidents.  That would be interesting at my age :-)

[AmyS]

I'm sure that some of my bloat is cycle related, but even prior to that I was still feeling this way.  I can't really remember my other whole 30 other than some of the recipes I tried.  Maybe I'm eating too much broccoli or cauliflower?  They are cooked, but I tend to make a large amount so I'll have plenty of left overs.  I remember having lots of soup the first time I did whole 30.  Maybe that's a difference?  I usually cook a chicken, make broth, then make soup.  I know I need to keep feeding myself this way because it makes sense.  I'm dreaming every night whereas I used to never dream (or at least never remember them).  I don't know that it's really a NSV, but it's kind of cool.  So, would it make sense to keep going for a while to see if my body responds better over time, or just take a break and try again in a few months?

You know, I've discovered to my dismay that if I'm even within sniffing distance of cauliflower in any form, I'm a blimp with sound effects for days afterwards.   This is not everyone's reality, of course, but don't rule out the possibility that those cruciferous veggies are having an unwanted impact.

 

And also don't discount the impact of your cycle on your experience of your body's size. If that makes sense, hehe.

 

I'm glad you're experiencing some strong positives, that's great! You know, another thought might be that if you are experiencing some digestive issues (like bloating) on a regular basis, you might try some digestive enzymes. It's worth a thought.

 

Haha, after re-reading one of my posts above, I want to point out that my sleep is interrupted by my kids waking me up after they have a bad dream or an accident.  It sounded like they were my bad dreams and accidents.  That would be interesting at my age :-)

I understand. I have kiddoes too. I got it immediately.

[hiirenehigh]

Hello Laurajfrog, I too am 36 and have had the exact same problem!!!! I have had my thyroid checked and everything else. My doctor said that as we get older we hang on to stress longer and it takes more for our cortisol levels to drop. She said think skinny, I swear its so fustrating. Let me know how it goes for you.

 

Stay strong,

Heather

[laurajfrog]

Thanks Heather!  I still haven't had blood work done.  I did complete my Whole 30 (yay!) and I'm mostly staying on plan with some planned (and worth it) deviations from the plan.  On the bright side, my weight may not have dropped, but I had a picture of me taken yesterday before I ran a mud race and my arms looked awesome :-)