So frustrated

[Beyondthis]

Have finished my whole 30 and am really pretty disappointed with my results. I never got more energy, never felt very different other than that I occasionally had diarrhea which I had only very rarely before whole 30. I didn't get anything close to tigerblood, had at least as much bloating and gas as before, if not more, needed much much more sleep and woke up still tired which didn't happen before, and just generally saw the opposite results of what I wanted/expected. I did get away from snacking, and tried a lot of new styles of cooking, but I'm finding it really hard to say it was worth the time, expense, effort, and energy. The whole way through I just kept going, thinking, well maybe I haven't given it enough time yet, and it takes 30 days not 25 and so on. I even thought I would continue after the 30 days were finished. I didn't cheat, kept to the template, cut out nuts and excessive fruits halfway through and I'm frustrated. I wanted to feel different / better. I wanted to have the before and after pictures that I could see a difference in. I'm thinking this whole thing was a waste. Googling it, I see I'm not alone in this, but I'm just so so jealous. I wanted the amazing results. I worked so hard to get them, but nothing.

[Carlaccini]

We are sorry to hear that you are frustrated and disappointed.  Its a very hard thing sometimes.  Keep in mind that sometimes if we have had, years, and years of disordered eating under our belt that a mere 30 days is basically one drop of water in a large bucket full of water.  Some of us never get to feel the elusive "tiger blood" but overall they do feel better.  So it's all relative to you and what your history/medical history may be.

 

Also keep in mind that some healthy foods do cause problems for some.  I just recently noticed that I have some digestive issues with fruits and vegetables that are high in FODMAP's and I have been eating "this way" for 2.5 years.  It's something I never really paid attention to, until I went through a very stressful December where the stress just seemed to exacerbate my issues.

 

Let's start at the very beginning - are you able to list out a couple of days worth of meals (include approximate portions sizes if you can) along with activity levels?  This will help us troubleshoot and let you know where you might be able to do better in the future.

[MeadowLily]

Thirty or even 60 days may not be enough.  Most of the amazing results are internal.  

 

Generally speaking, those of us from a background of snacking, sugar and caffeine overload or refined foods - it's going to take longer to see the outward changes.  There are many athletes here who were already Paleo or turbo-charged with a good relationship with food.  They're running on jet fuel, now.

 

I am one of those who let everything go to heck in a handbasket.  It's taken me 10 months to pull my hindend out of a tailspin.  I'm still treading water but my head is out and I can finally see.  I have aways to go but I don't compare myself with anyone else.  I don't look at the amazing 60 lb weight losses in 6 months and wish that was me.  

 

I've learned to goooo Oooooo soooo sloooooow.   There are Whole 30 members with very delicate health problems.  It is so very hard.  It seems patently unfair for them.  They've embraced this gentle approach and they're extending their life spans by doing so.

 

The world will always be full of beautiful, naturally 'proper weight' people.  But we can all be informed and educated about how to be the best we can be.   This body that I have today is where I'm at now but I still have hope for my future. Working on a better relationship with food can't be on a hit or miss basis for me.  I'm tooling along without looking to the left or right.  I don't compare myself to the hard gainers or the fast losers.  I can't.

 

All I have to do is put in the consistent effort, edge my way down slowly without peer pressure.   Yes, it will be bliss a-go a-go when I get there.  Meanwhile, I'm going to enjoy this day and focus on others who are struggling with delicate health.   So that's my goal - overall health and well being.

 

The best advice is not to take advice from others. Out there.

 

There may be others out there who've completed their W30 without the professional guidance we find on this official forum.  Their complaints may be due to non-compliance or they're going by word of mouth. You'll get the best tips for tweaking your Whole 30 here.  They're pros.

[Beyondthis]

I just feel like I did things as I was supposed to, I read the book, I Exercised, I cooked following the template, I ate what I was supposed to eat and not what I wasn't and it didn't pay off. The first couple weeks I ate nuts and a fair bit of fruit, and then once I realized I wasn't seeing the changes I was supposed to be seeing around that time-frame, asked for advice on here and ended up cutting them out. I'm 24, not overweight, and haven't really had any real issues with my health. I wanted more energy since I have been more exhausted than I think I should be since starting work as a nanny in January and it would be nice to have my bloating go away.

[MeadowLily]

Beyondthis, you have the rest of your life ahead of you...like waaaay beyond.  I only wish I'd had the Whole 30 when I was 24 years old. Ooooooo, I'd be so much further ahead.  But I can't wish my life away in giant month hunks.  You're not overweight.  You're at a glorious age of 24, no real health issues.  I'd say you're darned near perfect.

 

Embrace all of the healthy you've learned here and carry it with you into your Nanny position.  Don't look back over your shoulder and return to nuts and too many fruits.  That won't help.  Stay the course and get back with the Whole 30  template until you feel the way you want.  I've been at it almost a year and I'm still not where you're at.  The time frame is a general means of how things are supposed to be but your body may need more time.   I've needed boatloads of time.  

[jent103]

If you're not overweight, what made you expect dramatic before-and-after pictures? I ask that sincerely. I know from personal experience that it's discouraging to read about so many people experiencing dramatic weight loss or other results on the Whole30, but not see those yourself. I get that, completely. But many of those stories are from people who started at a very different place than you did, it sounds like.

 

In addition to what Carla asked - what is your sleep like? I came to Whole30 while regularly getting only 6.5 hours of sleep a night, and I fully believe that that affected my experience. It might also affect yours, especially if you're caring for small kids all day.

[Beyondthis]

I'll post my photos later. I have pretty severe bloating. I know it's bloat because sometimes it goes away and I am shocked at how nice my stomach looks and then it comes back- I havent been able to pinpoint at all when/why. I really wanted that to go away or at the very least know what caused it. But I seemed to have it all through the whole30, sometimes much worse than before so it's not dairy or grains or beans or soy or what have you, causing it. I did notice that if I had coconut milk it would cause extra but considering that during the whole30 is the only time in my life I've had coconut milk it's not exactly a huge change to discover I have issues with it.

[Zoe]

Have finished my whole 30 and am really pretty disappointed with my results. I never got more energy, never felt very different other than that I occasionally had diarrhea which I had only very rarely before whole 30. I didn't get anything close to tigerblood, had at least as much bloating and gas as before, if not more, needed much much more sleep and woke up still tired which didn't happen before, and just generally saw the opposite results of what I wanted/expected. I did get away from snacking, and tried a lot of new styles of cooking, but I'm finding it really hard to say it was worth the time, expense, effort, and energy. The whole way through I just kept going, thinking, well maybe I haven't given it enough time yet, and it takes 30 days not 25 and so on. I even thought I would continue after the 30 days were finished. I didn't cheat, kept to the template, cut out nuts and excessive fruits halfway through and I'm frustrated. I wanted to feel different / better. I wanted to have the before and after pictures that I could see a difference in. I'm thinking this whole thing was a waste. Googling it, I see I'm not alone in this, but I'm just so so jealous. I wanted the amazing results. I worked so hard to get them, but nothing.

 

Hi Beyondthis

My first W30 was much the same - no tigers blood / still bloating / etc and I put on weight (which was just awful)

BUT it did iron out some habits - snacking / too many nuts / eating regularly

AND I felt more calm and at peace with myself

I tried again a few times in 2015 and am now day 13 but this time I am doing an AIP W30 and it has made a difference - there is much less bloating - still no tigers blood though

It may be that one of the foods you hadn't been eating so much off pre W30 and were eating more off during W30 was reacting with you - eggs / avocados / different fruits / vegs (nightshades)

Sorry it didnt work out for you - but I do understand your frustration

You are only 24 - you shouldn't be exhausted - have you talked to your DR ? You may have an underlying medical condition

Zoe

[Beyondthis]

And as far as my sleep goes- I've always gotten bare minimum 8 hours and continue to do so. Before it was enough but now it's not, I wake up tired and feel tired most of the morning, feel awake sometime around 10 (3+ hours after I got out of bed) and then get tired again around 2 and am tired until I go to bed around 10:30. It's awful.

A normal days meals would be-

M1 1-2 eggs, 1-2 pieces compliant ham or bacon, handful of cherry tomatoes, aspeargras or broccoli or roast root veg and possibly 1/2 avocado

M2 palm sized portion of meat( often brisket, poached chicken, pulled pork or meatballs) and veg in various forms (roast root veg, salad, cooked cabbage, tomato, cucumber, radishes, broccoli, eggplant, etc) and a banana or small container of pineapple

M3 tried to vary salmon, pork belly, beef strips, shrimp, scallops, hamburgers, roast chicken etc always palm size, cooked in various ways (curry, stir fry, roast, panfry, broiled) with veg-often cabbage, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, tomato, salad, spinach, carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, onion, bell pepper etc

If I needed a snack- occasionally in the early evening (I eat M2 at 12 and M3 at 7;30 so I'd get a bit pecking around 5:30-6) I'd have sardines in olive oil, a spoonful of capers, 2-3 black olives and 3-4 cherry tomatoes.

ETA - I don't have coffee or tea regularly. Maybe 1-2X/week

[Hannlib]

You're eating a lot of broccoli and cauliflower. Could that account for the bloating? You may find a more careful food diary helps you pin things down. My first whole 30 revealed I don't get on with tomatoes, but it took some puzzling out.

[Carlaccini]

Hi BeyondThis

 

Broccoli, Cauliflower, asparagus, onions, garlic, cabbage, radishes, and green bell peppers are all part of a family of foods called FODMAPs.  What do they do? Cause bloating, overall bowel discomfort, bathroom issues, etc.  Basically FODMAP's are types of sugars found in certain foods that your body has trouble processing in large amounts.

 

Broccoli and Cauliflower are usually the big players.  However if every single meal contains one of the above vegetables listed - then it might start to give you issues.

 

What I recommend - go easy and lay off of these vegetables for the next few days or until you feel better.  If you want a list of fruits and vegetables you can have  for the next few days find the shopping list here - http://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-shopping-list-FODMAP.pdf

 

After you are feeling better then maybe limit your exposure to these foods - ie: have one only once a day as opposed to 2 or 3 times. Also keep an eye on your body reaction.

 

I am presently going through this too - you are not alone.  I have discovered that my body doesn't like onions.  And I used to put onions in EVERYTHING!

[LucieB]

I started Whole30'ing in 2011, and do about 2 Whole30's a year, while following Whole30 rules pretty strictly the rest of the time.

I was already eating clean Paleo-ish and was a healthy weight. So I didn't change terribly much in the way of what I ate or how I looked.

 

Instead I

• learned to cook,
• discovered new foods, spices, seasonings, ingredients,
• schooled myself on additives, artificial ingredients, and other funnies added to foods,
• understood what my body needed for endurance training and recovery,
• understood my cravings and how to handle them,
• developed a habit of meal structure, planning, and templates,
• learned to identify foods that cause my bloating problems (FODMAPS!!)
• and FINALLY became symptom free of bloating after years of dealing with it.

By my measures, I consider my journey a complete success. But I didn't see it that way until I had some time with it and enough hindsight. Maybe the same could happen for you.

 

And OMG yes broccoli and cauliflower can cause bloating! 

[Beyondthis]

So I looked at the fodmap list and pretty well all of my favorite vegetables and fruits which I ate regularly before whole30 and increased during were on that list. I'll try to reduce them. But really asparagus? I love asparagus. :-(

[Carlaccini]

Yes I know - but remember it is only temporary - Probably a few days - 10 days at most.  Up until the bloating and discomfort goes way down. I am not suggesting that you go for a complete 30 days (unless of course you want to) but just enough time for your body to calm down.

 

Also is there anything going on that might be stressing you out at the moment?  Stress can be a huge contributing factor as well.

[Tina R]

Do you have SIBO? Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth? From what I understand if you have it you will never solve your bloating problems or feel better until you fix it. I am not an expert but basically what happens is when you eat, the bacteria in your small intestine starts to feed off the food and causes bloating and gas or excessive burping. I would check out this website for more information. http://www.siboinfo.com/ I am right with you. I have done 5 different cleanses last year and NONE of them helped me. I didn't lose 1 pound and I need to lose 15 - 20, I didn't sleep and I didn't have tiger blood. I had my thyroid tested to make sure I didn't have Hashimoto's and now I am working on hormone and adrenal testing. Some of us have a longer path to take. Hopefully we can find the problem and then help someone else on their journey. Good Luck. 

[frogtox]

I just feel like I did things as I was supposed to, I read the book, I Exercised, I cooked following the template, I ate what I was supposed to eat and not what I wasn't and it didn't pay off. The first couple weeks I ate nuts and a fair bit of fruit, and then once I realized I wasn't seeing the changes I was supposed to be seeing around that time-frame, asked for advice on here and ended up cutting them out. I'm 24, not overweight, and haven't really had any real issues with my health. I wanted more energy since I have been more exhausted than I think I should be since starting work as a nanny in January and it would be nice to have my bloating go away.

Sorry I haven't read all the responses, but have you had your thyroid tested, or vitamin B levels? It may be that you're having low energy because of something not easily controlled by diet. 

I also benefited a lot from increasing the amt of probiotics, particularly via drinking kombucha. It can help digestive issues like constipation, bloating and diarrhea. 

 

Good luck. 

[Maggiedoll]

I would check out this website for more information. http://www.siboinfo.com/ I am right with you.

I went to check out that site. And it's claiming that SIBO causes autism. WHAT?! That one kinda kills credibility.

[Tina R]

Maggiedoll if you don't like her take then check out some other sites on SIBO. I personally believe that leaky gut is linked to autoimmune disease so I find this information credible. According to many experts you can't have an autoimmune disease without having a leaky gut. 

http://chriskresser.com/sibo-what-causes-it-and-why-its-so-hard-to-treat

http://scdlifestyle.com/about-the-scd-diet/

http://www.gapsdiet.com/

Good Luck!

[MeadowLily]

Maggiedoll if you don't like her take then check out some other sites on SIBO. I personally believe that leaky gut is linked to autoimmune disease so I find this information credible. According to many experts you can't have an autoimmune disease without having a leaky gut. 

http://chriskresser.com/sibo-what-causes-it-and-why-its-so-hard-to-treat

http://scdlifestyle.com/about-the-scd-diet/

http://www.gapsdiet.com/

Good Luck!

I've been wondering...is SIBO really a new term for Candida?  Remember when everyone had Chronic Fatigue and Candida, now it's Leaky Gut and SIBO...terms change but can anyone tell me if those are the old conditions with dressed up acronyms? My naturopath wants to/ is treating everyone for Leaky Gut and SIBO.  

[Tina R]

No SIBO is an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine (where it shouldn't be). Candida is a yeast infection that can be all through your body. Both of these can cause similar symptoms. Check out http://thewholejourney.com/could-it-be-candidafor more information about Candida. 

[LindaTuck19]

Your experience is HANDS DOWN my same experience. Except I did it for a full 45 days.. no weight loss, probably gained (but never weighed bc I was a good girl and did everything right!) more bloating and actually had some insomnia after NEVER having sleeping problems before. I also learned after a couple weeks I was relying too much on nuts and fruit so I cut both out almost entirely.. it helped but not much. I had no energy, had migraines, and was super frustrated.

I still believe in the Whole30, but I think I need to follow the FODMAPS protocol. It seems to be right on target for me. I was eating SOO much bc I think my body was crying out for what it wasn't getting.. it was getting tons of garlic, onions, avocados, asparagus, celery, and broccoli and cauliflower.. which are all big no-no's... Hoping this is really the magic bullet.

[Beyondthis]

I derailed a bit yesterday - had planned to reintroduce things properly and in order- but that didn't happen - ended up having sugar cookie dough (at first by accident and then I just didnt care) and then just said "screw it" and went out to eat and had chimichangas, alcohol, and 2 mini packets of Cadbury minis. Woke up this morning feeling fantastic, and with a flat belly. I mean seriously. I know it's probably because I didn't have any fodmap fruit or veg (other than the avocado in the "guacamole ") but it sure doesn't help to make me want to eat healthfully! Trying to get back on track this week and will be avoiding the fodmap fruits and vegetables.

[Beyondthis]

Your experience is HANDS DOWN my same experience. Except I did it for a full 45 days.. no weight loss, probably gained (but never weighed bc I was a good girl and did everything right!) more bloating and actually had some insomnia after NEVER having sleeping problems before. I also learned after a couple weeks I was relying too much on nuts and fruit so I cut both out almost entirely.. it helped but not much. I had no energy, had migraines, and was super frustrated.

I still believe in the Whole30, but I think I need to follow the FODMAPS protocol. It seems to be right on target for me. I was eating SOO much bc I think my body was crying out for what it wasn't getting.. it was getting tons of garlic, onions, avocados, asparagus, celery, and broccoli and cauliflower.. which are all big no-no's... Hoping this is really the magic bullet.

So glad I'm not alone. Was really thinking I must have been doing it completely wrong despite having read the book and following the template.

[cinagain]

I'm not sure that using a flat belly as an indicator for happiness is a good thing...at all. 

[Beyondthis]

I'm not sure that using a flat belly as an indicator for happiness is a good thing...at all.

It's not an indicator of happiness. I'm not sure how you got that from my post/responses. I wanted more energy and possibly my bloating to go away. I didn't say my happiness depended on that happening.

Yesterday I woke up feeling fantastic when for 30 days I hadn't. I woke up before the alarm, leapt out of bed and felt good/productive rather than exhausted and meh like I had during whole 30. My belly was flat/not gassy etc. And anyway, why should I not be happy to see that a physical issue that bothered me had gone away (temporarily, because it's always temporary.)