For the Love of Gosling... on Day 27?

[Betty7]

During the timeline "Gosling" days, I never really experienced feeling like my pants were tighter or that I was bigger than when I started. I thought I was one of the lucky ones. But then it happened this morning. I put on my favorite work pants I haven't worn since last Thursday, and they were hard to button. 

 

Say what?

 

I wanted to cry so I cheated. I weighed myself. I'm up a pound since I started, which is negligible, but discouraging nonetheless. I don't even feel guilty about the cheat. In my head, I know it's just a stupid number, but I really wanted some measurable success.

 

Now, I haven't had an optimal Whole30. I was sick with a horrible head cold the first two weeks, then I came down with shingles around day 15, which I am finally almost over. Through it all, I stuck to my guns and forced myself to stick to the plan. I missed a meal here and there because I was just too tired to cook or I was just not hungry. But I stuck it out because I am desperate to start feeling better about my body and my health. I knew, I just knew, that by the end, I would be in a better place.

 

But I'm not in a better place, and the finish line is on Thursday. My skin isn't clearer, my sleep quality hasn't changed, my attention span/focus hasn't changed, I don't have more energy, I'm not "happier," as a lot of folks seem to report, and I certainly haven't lost any weight, which is astounding, IMO. Now that I think about it, I haven't felt debilitatingly sleepy after lunch. So there's that. But that's it. That's not a lot.

 

I had a whole battery of bloodwork done the week prior to staring the Whole30, so I know there aren't any underlying thyroid issues, diabetes, high blood pressure, or high choleserol or anything like that. I know what the advice is going to be: You were sick. Do a Whole45 or a Whole60 or a WholeFor-the-Neverending-Forseeable-Future. But I'm going out of town this weekend, and I've been looking forward to it for months. There's no feasible way to stick to the plan the entire time, and I really don't want to.

 

I was pushing 200lbs when I started this, and I'm only 5'4", so it's not like there isn't room for all kinds of improvement. After the first day, realizing I didn't know what a template meal looked like, I have been astutely aware of portions, making sure to eat enough protein, vegetables, and fat at every meal, to eat fruit and nuts sparingly, and I've even quit snacking altogether. All this effort (even pushing through when it was really, really hard) for almost no return. I just feel dejected and discouraged, like it's hopeless.

 

Anyone else have negligilbe progress their first go around? Did you stick it out? Did you see results after doing a second 30 days?

[ladyshanny]

So sorry that you're experiencing this, Betty.  The trick with weight loss is that it's not about calories or exercise it's about hormonal balance. Your body has to feel hormonally safe and balanced before it's going to start releasing weight.  My suspicion is that you've had a rocky go of it and it's possible that the hormonal balance simply isn't there yet.

 

It's also completely possible that your body has prioritized internal healing over weight loss.  Depending on what your previous diet was like you could have been experiencing some major inflammation issues, leaky gut, incorrect gut bacterial growth etc.  

 

My recommendation would be to finish out your 30 days.  Go on your weekend but try not to go right off the rails.  You won't have done a proper reintroduction so I would recommend coming home, Whole30'ing for a few (5-7) days and then do a proper reintro.  It's possible that once you reintro foods you will find that there are things that have cleared up that you didn't even notice.  For me it was losing my constantly sniffly, runny nose and congested nasal breathing.  Didn't even notice that got better until I ate something that caused it to come back.  

 

If you want to, you can post a few days of typical Whole30 meals (include portions, please), fluids, sleep, stress etc.  We can take a look, sometimes it's something as simple as eating too many raw veggies or a lot of cruciferous ones that is messing you up.

[Betty7]

Meal 3: 2 hard boiled eggs, 1 pan-fried nut-crusted chicken tender, 1 twice baked sweet potato w/ 1 tablespoon pecans, 1 cup of pan-fried red potato, green pepper, mushroom, and onion 

 

Meal 1: 2 scrambled eggs, 2 cups pan-fried mix of sweet potato, yellow pepper, and onions, 1/2 avacado

Meal 2: 1 pan-fried, seasoned turkey breast, 2 cups of pan-fried kale, mushrooms and bell peppers

Meal 3: 1 palm-sized piece of seasoned Mahi-mahi, 2 cups of steamed broccoli, 1/2 avocado

 

Meal 1: 1 turkey breast, 2 cups butternut squash, 1 handful spinach, 1/2 avocado

Meal 2: 3 nut-crusted chicken tenders, 1 twice baked sweet potato w/ pecans, 1 small cucumber, 2 thumbs almond butter

 

All pan fried meals are cooked in a minimal amount of coconut oil. Those are my last six meals, including lunch today. I can't remember further back, I haven't been logging them anywhere, but it generally looks like this. I have made it a point to eat more starchy vegetables the last couple of days because I thought I was lacking.

 

Sleep has been good. I generally get between 7-9 hours every night. My water consumption has been good, too. I drink 2 8oz cups of coffee (always before 10am), and then 6-8 12oz glasses of water each day.

 

Stress on the other hand? Not great. The BF and I have been fighting a lot. Work stress is minimal, though.

[MeadowLily]

Betty - your bout with shingles is the handwriting on the wall that you're under a tremendous amount of stress. You wanted items last week because of stress.  You may need to forget this until your body has healed up and you're in a better place to start another Whole 30.

 

Another binge is not a cure for a food addiction.   Betty, I was where you're at a year ago.  

 

Betty, Betty....I'm not there anymore.   When you are ready, you need to edge yourself down slowly. It can seem like you're climbing Mount Everest and that feeling great is a ridiculous fantasy.  I love ya, Betty.

 

When you succeed with changing one tiny habit, it can change your whole perspective.  It's no longer a mountain but a pile of stones that you are moving one by one.   You don't have to heave the whole thing with supernatural strength.  One at a time.  First one isn't so bad and then you're really stoked.

 

Start again when you're all healed up.   I'll help you, Betty.  I care.

[Carlaccini]

HI Betty,

 

Firstly your meal 1 - protein amounts look on the smaller side.  I have noticed that some days you add extra protein - and those days you are doing fine.  

 

But when eggs are your sole protein in a meal they should be the amount of how many whole eggs you can hold in one hand without dropping them.

 

Keep in mind that the fat that you are cooking with very often gets left in the pan unless you are scrapping this onto your dish.  It actually looks like you might benefit by increasing you fat a bit - especially the meals that you just seem to be using the fat that you are cooking in.

 

Other than that it's hard to say - nuts could be bothering you.  Avocadoes could be bothering you.  Broccoli could be bothering you

 

As MedowLily mentions above - having shingles is a pretty obvious signal that your body is pretty stressed out right now.  So your best bet is to focus on bringing your stress levels down.  

[MeadowLily]

Betty - before you go - I don't think I've ever read a Moderator recommending that someone do a 45-60-90/or never-ending future.  They usually remind everyone that the Whole 30 is only 30 days and at some point you should create your own rules.

 

I've created things over the past year.    I'm a good follower. When Tom Denham said he had a weight release that took 18 months....I said, that's for me.  Sooooo,  I followed his posts and read up on his tips.  I took all of it to heart and it's working for me, too.  When  he said to eat two Brazil nuts with a can of tuna,  I did it.  If he had used tiddlywinks instead of Brazil nuts, I would've done that.  I was desperate.  I wanted to feel good again.

 

I was willing to embrace all of the healthy....body, mind, and spirit.

[Betty7]

Thanks, everyone for your advice.

 

I've definitely been experiencing depression the last couple of weeks, and it's hard to keep going feeling this way, even when you have will power of steel. I just read through the "How Whole30 Made Me Crazy and Why" thread (it's currently hot and trending in this category) and wonder if I'm one of those people that needs more carbs to keep my serotonin levels up. I guess I have felt happier the last two or three days than I have the last two or three weeks, since I've been eating sweet potatoes, red potatoes, and butternut squash more.

 

I'm going to really up my starchy vegetable and fat intake for the last three days and see how I feel. I'm having acorn squash for dinner, and probably again for breakfast! Maybe there's magic in it for me after all, but who knows. I wish it didn't have to be this complicated. Lol. 

[ladyshanny]

I'm going to really up my starchy vegetable and fat intake for the last three days and see how I feel. I'm having acorn squash for dinner, and probably again for breakfast! Maybe there's magic in it for me after all, but who knows. I wish it didn't have to be this complicated. Lol. 

Can't hurt to increase the starchies, some women need them every day and even every meal.  And don't feel too discouraged, it might seem complicated to you right now but as soon as you figure out your "formula" for your unique self, you'll be golden!  

[Carlaccini]

Betty I am one of those ladies who needs quite a few starchies.  I actually need a minimum of 2 a day.  And I am not terribly active either as I am recovering from a knee/hip injury.  This goes against the grain from what we have learned as I am still considered overweight.

 

And you know what?  I am fine with this.  

 

Why?

 

Because my hormones are happy.  And I am no longer depressed, moody, or cranky.  All of this stuff comes back if I am too low on carbs.  And I have dabbled with low carb here and there because heck I would love to see that scale number go down too.  But if I go too low carb - my body rebels.  How does it rebel?  It gains weight.  So don't be afraid of the starchies - sometimes we need them.

[Betty7]

Well, here it is. Day 30. I suppose the only thing that has transpired over the last three days is that I noticed the very minor acne around my hairline has diminished almost completely. So that's progress. But I'm holding solid at +1 lb since I started. Lol.

 

I tried eating more starchie vegetables over the last few days, and I think having them at every meal is too much for me. I experienced the carb-load sugar crash after dinner two nights ago. I eat almost no fruit on this plan, so that has to be it. When I cut back to having starches just at breakfast and lunch, I did fine at dinner yesterday. So it looks like twice a day might be the way to go for me.

 

We rented a house with a full kitchen for our trip, so I'm going to take lots of food with me and eat as compliantly as possible. But I know that I'm going to off road with alcohol this weekend; as I said, it's been planned for a long time, and it's my choice to do so. I'm basically going to a big weekend-long party for charity. But I think I'll take it easier than I would have prior to this.

 

Anyway, I'm going to take ladyshanny's advice and do a mini W10 or something like that when I get back. I wanted to say thank you to everyone who has been so supportive on this journey. I will definitely be back to do another official W30, because I really like my new relationship with food, and think I could learn a great deal from doing it all over again from the beginning.