frustrated and feeling generally defeated

[BananaFannaFoFynn]

I have gained 7lbs over my Whole30. I am going to check my lean body mass & fat percentage at the gym this morning, but I am very sure I didn't gain 7lbs of muscle in a month. My clothes are a little more snug now than when I started.

There is no question that I feel better. I keep fruit intake to no more than two serving a day. I reduced my cardio, but continued weight lifting/sport training.

I think I may have been eating too much. I wasn't counting calories, was was certainly consuming more than I did when on a calorie restricted diet. Maybe my brain still hasn't learned to tell me when I have had enough food? I had 1-2 cups of vegies, one palm of pasture raised protein, and about two thumbs of fat per meal with some sweet potato on the more intense workout days.

I really don't know what to do here. I am 5'1" and 189lbs. I have muscle, but there is no denying that I have a significant amount of body fat to lose. It is frustrating that I feel better over all, but am still gaining fat.

I want to continue, since I do feel better, but worry about continued gain.

Thanks for listening to me vent. Any feedback is appreciated.

[Misschriss]

I'm hoping an experienced Whole30 member will comment. I can say from experience that for me, portions do count, Paleo or not, in my body it does matter. When I started my Paleo journey last December some things did improve but I gained body fat because I was eating too much for me. I'm cautious about talking about this because a lot of Paleo followers get really uptight when you talk about portion control on the bacon and sausage. I've learned through trial and error in my body that using the Whole30 portions guideline has been a helpful way for me to learn healthful amounts for my body to learn what's normal. I'm 48, in perimenopause, moderately athletic, and not yet fat-adapted but working on it. Hang in there ok? I now it's very frustrating but I know we can do this.

[Tom Denham]

I hear you about it being frustrating, but I think you are on a path that will work over time. I remember having a conversation like this with someone months ago. She either failed to lose any weight or gained some weight. The consensus view was that she should just keep doing what she was doing and relax. I heard from her about 6 weeks later and she had lost 10 pounds. She said when she quit worrying about it, she started making the progress she wanted.

The bottom line is that you are behaving in a healthy, responsible fashion that is good for your body. That may not create a steady stair step of weight loss, but it will get you to a really healthy place and lower weight over time. I hope you can come to trust that, relax, and keeping doing what you are doing until it happens.

Your portion choices sound good. Do you experience hunger? How much do you feel hungry? How much are you sleeping? How good is your sleep?

[BananaFannaFoFynn]

Early in the program, I wouldn't have the sweet potato and I would eat one thumb of fat. I found that if I had less than two thumbs, I would feel hungry again after a couple of hours. The day after maximum effort weight training I would be incredibly hungry. All day... Until I added the sweet potato on the more challenging workout days (should throw in here that my coach is trying, somewhat aggressively, to build my strength so that I can compete with a heavier bell later this year).

Now, I am only slightly hungry in the morning when I wake up, but I eat breakfast anyway. I eat lunch when I feel hungry, which is around 1pm. In the evening, I am usually only hungry after weight training, and, then, I actually feel hunger pains. I eat dinner either way.

I struggle to get 7 hours of sleep, honestly. Between my job, working out, etc.. I often do not get to have dinner until 8pm, and I try to be in bed by 9:30. I often have difficulty falling asleep. I usually wake up when Craig comes to bed, usually sometime after midnight. For the most part, when I am sleeping, I sleep soundly.

According to the body fat monitor & my calculations, about 2 of the 7lbs gained this month was muscle.

[Tom Denham]

I lost a little weight from exercise, but got on a down escalator with fat after my sleep improved. All kinds of hormonal things improve when we get enough good sleep. When I was still going to the gym, it got old for folks who came to me asking how to lose weight because sleep was one of the biggest things I raised with them. One man with children would just shake his head and say, "I've got young children (I can't get good sleep)."

You're training with kettlebells? I start week 12 of Geoff Neupert's Kettlebell Muscle program on Monday. I've gained at least 5 pounds over the past few months, but I'm afraid some of it is belly fat.

[jennrider]

How much water are you drinking? I found I had to make myself drink water the first week. Almost done with week 2 and my thirst signal is stronger than I ever remember. We grow mint so I cut a few springs in the morning and make a pitcher of water with mint/lime. I really think the added water helped me to flush out my system. I would concentrate on the way you are feeling. Do you keep a food log? You may have a food in your menu that is causing problems for you. I never noticed a problem with nuts before, but if I eat too many my stomach lets me know.

[Aberrantatavia]

I would agree with Tom that sleep is a major factor. I am finally sleeping well after not sleeping most of my adult life. I'm on day 22 of my whole 30 and while I don't know if I've lost weight, I've dropped a pants size. I can also tell you that for me, the thumb of fat isn't enough. I am about your size and I certainly view weight loss as a goal, but I'm eating lots and lots of fat. For me to be satisfied, I'm eating a whole avocado or a pile of guacamole or a heap of homemade mayo. It's just me doing this here and I eat a double batch of mayo every week all by myself. I might adjust this if I don't feel like I am making progress with my health after I reach day 30, but my instinct is that I need that fat. So I eat a lot of the good stuff.

Hang in there if you are feeling better, it will be worth it!

[BananaFannaFoFynn]

It looks like I need to make sleep a priority! Water wise, I drink about 1/3 of my body weight in ounces on most days, sometimes more.

I have not kept a food log, but have decided that I probably should since I have/have had (in case it was just a leaky gut) many food sensitivities. I intend to continue eating Whole30 style.

Tom, I do train with kettlebells. I am not familiar with Geoff Neupert's Kettlebell Muscle program. Since starting kettlebell training, my strength and confidence has greatly improved. I hope that your weight gain is muscle, but I certainly empathize with your concern of belly fat. I love kettlebells, and recommend them to anyone who asks!

I attend a local gym that bases workouts around kettlebells and other cross-training movements. I am part of the gym's sport club. I suppose that, officially, my competition bell is 12kg, though I am very efficient with the 14kg. 16kg still completely kicks my rear end, and I am not yet at competition speed or time.

[Tom Denham]

I attend a local gym that bases workouts around kettlebells and other cross-training movements. I am part of the gym's sport club. I suppose that, officially, my competition bell is 12kg, though I am very efficient with the 14kg. 16kg still completely kicks my rear end, and I am not yet at competition speed or time.

I have been using the 12kg bells in my double kettlebell workouts - swings, high pulls, snatches, cleans, military presses, push presses, front squats. I can do everything with 16kg bells, but the 12s are all I can handle for the reps and sets required. Kettlebells can be so humbling.