First Whole 30 -with ME/CFIDS

[FlyingCrow]

Hello

I'm on day 8 now of my Whole30 - I had big ideas at the beginning that I would keep a detailed log here and update every day, but as I often do I was rather over estimating my current abilities. My energy levels are currently about 30% of normal which means if I want to be out of bed every day I need to remain housebound. Going out causes Post Exertional Malaise, which means days in bed. If I stay in I can manage around 15 minutes of very gentle yoga every day, as well as pottering around doing light chores and some painting ( I am an artist) which is essential to my mental health.

So on the negative side the extra cooking involved has been draining - the first weekend, days 1 & 2, I managed to overdo it completely with prepping in advance and ended up spending the following two days in bed. Not a great start, but since then I've been doing little bits here and there, which has worked much better and I feel like I'm beginning to get a rhythm going. The food processor has become my best friend and I'm awaiting delivery on a spiralizer!

Headaches and general fatigue are part of daily life for me so I don't know if I'm just getting my 'normal' ones or if I'm experiencing effects of the whole30! Chances are it's the former as the only foods I'm not eating that I normally would are dark chocolate and some dairy and dried fruit a few times a week - oh and food additives of course!

That said I have still had a few cravings - and last night was quite hard as my husband was away, attending an interview, and I felt a bit lonely. But I got through it.

I seem to be eating enormous amounts of food, and have had to split my lunch into a slightly smaller portion and a mini meal a couple of hours later, but I feel much better now I've done that - I was getting a mid afternoon lull, so I probably wasn't eating enough at lunchtime before.

My skin has just broken out, so that's nice, but I have an increasingly happy digestive system and my blood sugar is stable (because I gave up grains and pulses a few weeks ago it's had the time to improve a lot).

I am really enjoying my food, I have an appetite in the mornings again which I hadn't for a long time and we've had some truly delicious recipes, the only downside is that even though I am not overweight and didn't start this in order to lose weight, I do find myself worrying that my low levels of activity will result in weight gain occasionally, but I'm trying to remind myself that even if I do, it's not a big deal compared to my health, which is.

I said I'm doing a Whole30 at the beginning, but unfortunately there is one thing that's non- compliant: because I can't tolerate the side effects of prescription anti- depressants (no to mention those things are evil anyway) I take St John's Wort Tinture for anxiety and depression - and as I realised on my second day, the carrier is alcohol. Obviously I can't suddenly stop taking it, the tablet form is also non- compliant, and not as good either, so I decided I would just go ahead anyway, as even an imperfect Whole30 has to be better than not doing it at all.

I really hope I can come off the St John's Wort, eventually and then I can do it again, but for now this is the best I can do.

Here's to week two!

[FlyingCrow]

I forgot to mention, my sleep is improved for which I am very grateful indeed! Anyone with the same health probs will know what I'm talking about!

[FlyingCrow]

Yay! Day 15!

I had a week of mild but uncomfortable cystitis, raging thirst, bloated belly and constipation, not to mention one or two days of immense sleepiness ( obviously, with ME I am fatigued daily, but I don't tend to be sleepy usually).

But the cystitis is cleared up, the sleepiness has been replaced by yes! A little more energy and an overall sense that I really do feel better than before I began. Alas the digestive issues aren't fully resolved yet, but they have improved a little.

I have also realised that given my ultra low activity levels I am probably eating a few too many starch veggies, so I've cut back a little and so far not noticed anything negative as a result.

I'm also pleased to say that I really enjoy my meals and have only had one or two days of feeling un excited by my choices but that had more to do with having to cook again, than with the food itself.

I am really making an effort to include a wider variety of foods in my diet - I grew up eating offal but got out of the habit of eating it as an adult, so I'm trying to get back to it - starting tonight with lambs liver.

Im also very grateful that Dave although not participating, is being really good about eating outside of his comfort zone and seeming to really enjoy a lot of the meals too.

[chezjulie]

It sounds like you're doing great, which is especially impressive since you have a significant medical challenge to deal with on top of just the general challenges of doing a Whole30. I've had many of the same reactions you've had - like "Holy cow, this is  a lot of food!", fatigue that reared up well past the original hangover period, and ongoing GI issues such as bloating.

 

I believe Melissa has said if you need to have something non-compliant for medical or religious reasons, that trumps the Whole30 rules.

 

Are there any special dishes or combinations you're enjoying?

[FlyingCrow]

Thanks chezjulie, I did ease in and that helped a lot. I'm learning to do what I can when I can, and the fact that I ate Paleo for a couple of years previously helps a lot too, as I'm not having to think too hard about what to eat. My G I issues are a little better today, no big C anyway! Are yours cleared up now? It can make you feel pretty miserable, can't it?!

Well I just posted about some liver we had last night which was fab - it's in the meal planning forum, we had it with sweet potatoes sliced thin, tossed in coconut oil and roasted so they went all crispy chewy around the edges - perfect with the spicy tart liver - plus roast fennel and cauliflower. I really recommend this

What else has been good... I loved the chicken cacciatore from. the new whole30 book, erm, Melissa Joulwans Pad Thai with sunshine sauce is pure comfort food for me and I make wicked carnitas from belly pork in the slow cooker!

How about you? Any recommendations?

[Loulabelle]

Hi Flying Crow,

 

how are you doing? I just wanted to give you some encouragement. I had ME in my early 20's so I understand what you are saying especially about the sleep issues. I mean how can you be do damn fatigued and not be able to sleep! What got me better was eliminating foods from my diet that were not agreeing with me. These were diagnosed by an alternative medicine person who figured out I was reacting to wheat, canola oil, dairy and citric acid among others. My mum took me to see her pretty much out of desperation when I turn from a lively, active university student to a virtual recluse. Once I eliminated the foods, which looking back now I can see were very similar to what is not eaten on a W30, my body started to heal itself. I'm convinced to this day that once I stopped feeding myself foods that were harming me my body then I had the energy to fight the illness. I have gone on to have a wonderful life though I do still need to make sure I get adequate rest.

[FlyingCrow]

Hi Flying Crow,

 

how are you doing? I just wanted to give you some encouragement. I had ME in my early 20's so I understand what you are saying especially about the sleep issues. I mean how can you be do damn fatigued and not be able to sleep! What got me better was eliminating foods from my diet that were not agreeing with me. These were diagnosed by an alternative medicine person who figured out I was reacting to wheat, canola oil, dairy and citric acid among others. My mum took me to see her pretty much out of desperation when I turn from a lively, active university student to a virtual recluse. Once I eliminated the foods, which looking back now I can see were very similar to what is not eaten on a W30, my body started to heal itself. I'm convinced to this day that once I stopped feeding myself foods that were harming me my body then I had the energy to fight the illness. I have gone on to have a wonderful life though I do still need to make sure I get adequate rest.

It's always so good and encouraging to hear another recovery story, thanks for sharing yours Loulabelle

I have never been tested but I'm certain I'm gluten sensitive - the difference between when I eat it and when I don't is just so evident. I'm a

So lactose intolerant, I can eat butter and some hard cheese, but I'm realising that even though I can, it is putting a strain on my body. My attitude is similar to yours, I don't expect dietary changes to cure me, I see them as the essential foundation.

I'm also finding yoga and yoga nidra are really helping me too.

[chezjulie]

Your liver dinner sounds great... I love liver and also fennel. Unfortunately my DH likes neither of them.   I am going to have to try that pad thai with sunshine sauce that I keep hearing about. Maybe I'll make it as a special dinner for the last official day of my Whole30.

 

The two things I liked best were both super simple. One was to make the Master Recipe Ground Beef from ISWF, then put about a pound of it in a pan and add a can of tomato sauce and some poultry seasoning and use it as a bolognese sauce over something. The tomato and seasoning make it kind of sweet.

 

I also made some pan seared rainbow trout one night, and we ate it with roasted fingerling potatoes and some snow peas. Not really a recipe but a really tasty meal, and I wouldn't have gone seeking out  a different fish to cook if I weren't on the Whole30.

 

Yoga Nidra has always sounded divine to me. Do you do it from a DVD or tape, or do you go somewhere to do it?

[FlyingCrow]

Your liver dinner sounds great... I love liver and also fennel. Unfortunately my DH likes neither of them.   I am going to have to try that pad thai with sunshine sauce that I keep hearing about. Maybe I'll make it as a special dinner for the last official day of my Whole30.

 

The two things I liked best were both super simple. One was to make the Master Recipe Ground Beef from ISWF, then put about a pound of it in a pan and add a can of tomato sauce and some poultry seasoning and use it as a bolognese sauce over something. The tomato and seasoning make it kind of sweet.

 

I also made some pan seared rainbow trout one night, and we ate it with roasted fingerling potatoes and some snow peas. Not really a recipe but a really tasty meal, and I wouldn't have gone seeking out  a different fish to cook if I weren't on the Whole30.

 

Yoga Nidra has always sounded divine to me. Do you do it from a DVD or tape, or do you go somewhere to do it?

It's frustrating when your partner doesn't like the same things - I often have to cook separate veggies fortunately

both of us love fennel - I usually cut into eighths and roast it with fat and a splash of balsamic - its on the menu tonight in fact!

I haven't had trout for a long time - I might give it a try one night, I'm trying to eat more fish both for the variety and for budget reasons.

Divine is the word I think! There are lots of yoga nidra recordings free on both youtube and individual sites - lots to choose from here: http://www.yoganidranetwork.org/downloads

I have also bought a few recordings now I know what works best for me, too. There are no classes anywhere near me, but I'm considering doing an online course. Now I've discovered it, and how incredibly beneficial it is I'm thinking I may like to teach it, when my health has I proved.

[FlyingCrow]

Duh! Improved is what I meant!

[chezjulie]

I remember the sad day when my husband admitted to me that he didn't actually like fennel! LOL. I will have to roast some for myself though... that sounds great. I eat a lot more Whole30 than he does and I need a good supply of vegetables. I also eat a lot more variety of foods than he does in general, especially veggies.

 

I tried restorative yoga once, where you hold a particular pose for 5 or 10 minutes while propped by blocks and straps and pillows. I can see how it would be relaxing, but I kept having to get up to go to the bathroom and then I felt super self-conscious about interrupting everybody.

 

I will have to try yoga nidra. I was looking for a class on it (which is how I found the restorative yoga thing). I like listening to guided meditation while I'm going to sleep, and I think I would enjoy and benefit from that deep yogic sleep. 

[FlyingCrow]

Roasted fennel is good your husband just won't know what he's missing ;D

I have only tried Hatha yoga, and I'm happy with that, mind you my routine is very short and gentle because it has to be. I don't find things which need extra equipment very appealing to be honest. There's also the fact that for me, if I'm going to find the motivation and discipline to do it every day at home, it needs to be easy to start. Having to get out lots of extra bits would guarantee it never happened :0

There are lots of Nidra scripts available on the Internet, especially for going to sleep - on youtube mainly.

You know Yogic Sleep is not actually sleep sleep right? Because I know the translation has caused confusion - I did A free course on Udemy and this subject came up more than once.

[FlyingCrow]

Day 23!

I have had serious food boredom this last week - it's not the proteins, it was the veggies. If I ever even see another butternut squash.... I am limited to supermarket shopping at the moment, and I do find that a bit frustrating. The veg choices are nowhere near as interesting as a farm shop I used to frequent. For environmental reasons, as well as health, I'm just not willing to support pesticide use unless I have no other choice.

However I managed to get some different produce this week, and that cheers me up a bit

I also got to the point of being utterly sick of cooking, never mind the dishes that resulted. Our dishwasher goes on twice a day now as we are both at home for all three meals ( we live in at my husbands work so he's in for lunch).

Also cravings suddenly - probably partly related to the above, or at least made worse by it. This morning when I woke up I found myself imagining toast... No dreams though.

And constipation is a recurring problem. It only lasts for a day or two at a time, but things are definitely not right yet. It's an ongoing minor niggle.

My mood is all over the place too. So over sensitive and irritable, then an hour later happy again. This has definitely been my most challenging week. I hope the last one is a little easier!

Positives: hmm well my facial skin has definitely improved, the texture is way better, and overall I have a bit more energy but only the same as last week, no further gains.

My husband is being really supportive and encouraging though and that has helped a lot this week. He keeps telling me he's proud of me for sticking to it, and tolerates my irritable outburst pretty well! Thank goodness for his stoicism

[chezjulie]

Hi Ms. Crow  ,

 

I hear you on the short yoga routine thing. I haven't been doing any yoga at all lately, sadly, but there's a Rodney Yee AM Yoga DVD that I love that has a 12-minute routine. 

 

Much as I love actual sleep sleep, I was imagining Yoga Nidra to be something like that deep meditative state you can go into during savasana after a Hatha Yoga session. I've bookmarked the webpage you shared so I can check it out. 

 

Sorry you're having a frustrating week. It is So. Much. Cooking. My DH does the dishes, but we're challenged by having a very small portable dishwasher in our apartment so it really stacks up. And I get the food boredom, too - I've eaten so many eggs, sweet potatoes, and avocados that I almost can't believe it.

 

I agree with your husband that you should stick with it! I didn't start to feel decent until Day 16, and then my mood took a huge hit before my cycle. Are you getting a starchy carb with one or two meals? That helped me a lot with my mood. Hopefully things will level out.

 

BTW, I really like your profile picture. 

[FlyingCrow]

Hi Ms. Crow  ,

 

I hear you on the short yoga routine thing. I haven't been doing any yoga at all lately, sadly, but there's a Rodney Yee AM Yoga DVD that I love that has a 12-minute routine. 

 

Much as I love actual sleep sleep, I was imagining Yoga Nidra to be something like that deep meditative state you can go into during savasana after a Hatha Yoga session. I've bookmarked the webpage you shared so I can check it out. 

 

Sorry you're having a frustrating week. It is So. Much. Cooking. My DH does the dishes, but we're challenged by having a very small portable dishwasher in our apartment so it really stacks up. And I get the food boredom, too - I've eaten so many eggs, sweet potatoes, and avocados that I almost can't believe it.

 

I agree with your husband that you should stick with it! I didn't start to feel decent until Day 16, and then my mood took a huge hit before my cycle. Are you getting a starchy carb with one or two meals? That helped me a lot with my mood. Hopefully things will level out.

 

BTW, I really like your profile picture.

I wasn't actually feeling like quitting last week, just fed up. The cooking thing is a full time job in itself some days. I know what you mean about the avocados ! And eggs! So.many.eggs.

My moods okay now, thanks, but I cannot wait for the end. Even though it's not really. It's not that I even want to eat anything wildly off plan, I just want the greater variety and freedom a primal diet gives me. And a few vegetarian meals!

Yep, that's exactly what Yoga Nidra is, I hope you like it!

And thanks for tour comments about my profile pic - it's from a painting I did a couple of years ago.

[FlyingCrow]

So day 27. I really cannot wait for the end now, I was feeling very fed up this morning because eating like this makes me so very thirsty, then I'm drinking so much I'm getting up in the night to pee more than my usual once and this is interfering with my sleep.

And I don't feel any better at the moment than I did when I began. Now my gi has settled down my skin is a bit better, but that's it. I did have more energy for about a week but I spent all day Tuesday in bed this week, and half of yesterday, plus I was in bed by nine. All my ME symptoms are back and I am struggling with finding the energy to prepare yet another meal.

I think the problem with this diet when you already have limited energy is that the extra prep and cooking ends up becoming a drain on your energy - so much so that it can actually outweigh the good. At least that's how I feel right now, maybe I will improve again by day 30. I can only hope!

Anyway thinking about foods I want to reintroduce - they're aren't that many as I have no intention of eating gluten again, as I do know this is a problem for me (diarrhoea/loose stools mainly), and sugar is a migraine trigger for me so I don't touch it except in very dark chocolate.

So I'm looking at reintroducing:

Honey

Dark chocolate

Live yoghurt

Hard cheese

Rice

Some legumes - lentils definitely, maybe chickpeas

And that's about it. My main reason for reintroducing legumes and cheese is that I want to be able to eat vegetarian meals sometimes. I find meat fish or eggs at every meal overwhelming. I had no appetite for my burger at lunch and I'm not looking forward to the venison stew we're eating tonight because I just want a day off meat it's not lack of variety in what were eating or how it's prepared, it's just too much meat for me, and I'm surprised by that, quite honestly because I consider myself very much a meat eater. But I guess you can get fed up of anything sooner or later.

Fingers crossed I feel a bit better in the next couple of days!

[Loulabelle]

Your painting is beautiful, it reminded me of Gauguin though I realise it is totally your style and not really like his at all. Do you have your work on a web site somewhere? 

And thanks for tour comments about my profile pic - it's from a painting I did a couple of years ago.

[FlyingCrow]

Your painting is beautiful, it reminded me of Gauguin though I realise it is totally your style and not really like his at all. Do you have your work on a web site somewhere?

Thank you!

My art website is offline at the moment, I have been so ill with ME I had to stop working and claim benefits. I was concerned if I left my site up it would appear to the DWP that I was still working. Here in the UK the atmosphere is very negative towards benefits 'scroungers' like me, who have the temerity to be so sick they can't work.

[jmcbn]

Reading your log I understand that you are anxious to see an end to this, and looking forward to reintro, but given your medical history it may well just take a bit longer for you to see more encouraging results as your body has some healing to do - would you consider extending? 

I think you've covered the thirst situation, so hopefully you'll see some improvements there soon, but with regards to getting up for the toilet in the night I stop taking liquids on board by about 7pm if possible, and where before I was wakening pretty much every two hours I am now managing to get 3-4hrs sleep before I need to get up, and then a good solid sleep from then until just before my alarm goes off. 

[FlyingCrow]

Reading your log I understand that you are anxious to see an end to this, and looking forward to reintro, but given your medical history it may well just take a bit longer for you to see more encouraging results as your body has some healing to do - would you consider extending? 

I think you've covered the thirst situation, so hopefully you'll see some improvements there soon, but with regards to getting up for the toilet in the night I stop taking liquids on board by about 7pm if possible, and where before I was wakening pretty much every two hours I am now managing to get 3-4hrs sleep before I need to get up, and then a good solid sleep from then until just before my alarm goes off.

Short answer? No.

Seriously, you are asking me to continue doing something which currently has me feeling worse than I did before I began, causes constipation and thirst which wakes me up in the night and had me going hungry last night because I couldn't get my meal down?

The brief upping of energy I experienced in the middle of the last few weeks turned out to just be part of the normal fluctuation in energy levels I experience anyway due to my illness. My Rosacea has flared up again because I'm constipated again, my hair is frizzy and I want to weep at the thought of my food options today. I'm hungry now, but not eating because I can't face cooking something I don't want to eat.

If I was getting any real benefits at all from this programme then my answer would be different, but I am not. I certainly didn't expect it to cure me, and certainly not in a month, since my problem is due to neurological damage caused by extreme stress/trauma. I just hope it would be a way of improving things a little.

If I did as you suggested re: water, then I'd have to get up to drink instead of pee!

I understand that if something has worked for you and others you will be keen to encourage me to keep going, however I will not be continuing.

[jmcbn]

Point taken, and understood.

I just thought I'd put it out there as often things get worse before they get better, and so many with multiple medical issues report this but go on to report that they do see improvement when they continue on for 60 or even 90 days. Obviously though you have to decide what works for you.

Best of luck for the last few days.

[chezjulie]

Hi Ms. Crow,

 

I'm sorry that your Whole30 has not given you any improvement in your energy levels. That must be really disappointing when it is such a constant struggle for you to begin with. I hope you have a better day today (tomorrow? I'm not sure what to call it since it's day for me but still night for you).

 

I think health is a big picture system, and if following the Whole30 is disrupting your sleep and your energy levels, you definitely have to take that into consideration. For me, it is having lots of benefits but also causing GI distress and I've got to take that into account when I evaluate how the program is working for me.

 

The So. Much. Meat thing is an issue for me, and post-Whole30 I'm thinking about trying to incorporate a lot more seafood and think of it as a sort of Mediterranean/Whole30 style of eating, but maybe without all the grains and legumes you would find in a true Mediterranean diet. That sounds more appealing to me than just big hunks of meat at every meal.

 

Oh, and I am so impressed that you painted that lovely painting! I wish there was a website where I could see more of your work, but I understand why there's not. I'm filing a workman's comp claim right now and they're very suspicious of everything I say. And I feel like, "Dudes, this is you fault! I was just doing my job."

[FlyingCrow]

Hi Ms. Crow,

 

I'm sorry that your Whole30 has not given you any improvement in your energy levels. That must be really disappointing when it is such a constant struggle for you to begin with. I hope you have a better day today (tomorrow? I'm not sure what to call it since it's day for me but still night for you).

 

I think health is a big picture system, and if following the Whole30 is disrupting your sleep and your energy levels, you definitely have to take that into consideration. For me, it is having lots of benefits but also causing GI distress and I've got to take that into account when I evaluate how the program is working for me.

 

The So. Much. Meat thing is an issue for me, and post-Whole30 I'm thinking about trying to incorporate a lot more seafood and think of it as a sort of Mediterranean/Whole30 style of eating, but maybe without all the grains and legumes you would find in a true Mediterranean diet. That sounds more appealing to me than just big hunks of meat at every meal.

 

Oh, and I am so impressed that you painted that lovely painting! I wish there was a website where I could see more of your work, but I understand why there's not. I'm filing a workman's comp claim right now and they're very suspicious of everything I say. And I feel like, "Dudes, this is you fault! I was just doing my job."

Thank you again:D

We live in a very suspicious world don't we? There an awful lot of low level tension all the time, I think.

I'm sorry your GI problems aren't resolved yet either. It's miserable, I think, having this constant discomfort. You are right, to be honest I'm thinking of reintroducing early, I feel my body is actually in distress and since we are constantly told to listen to our bodies at the very least I'm cutting back on protein- it turns out the reason I am so very thirsty is because of the increased protein - we need water to make the acid to digest it.

I weighed myself this morning (and no, I don't feel slightly guilty!) I have gained 4lb. Whilst I wasn't overweight, I am certainly not underweight either (5.7" and was153, now 157) it is quite clear that I am eating more than I need to for my activity levels and I am pissed I gained weight.

I am thinking about eating more fish on a regular basis too, my husbands not a great fan but he does like prawns, and very mild fish. And it's better to eat lower down the chain with seafood, isn't it?

[FlyingCrow]

So, day 30, only it isn't because I stopped yesterday and I feel so very much better.

Once I learned that it was the increase in protein which was causing the neverending thirst (and which was in turn causing my migraines to get worse) and most likely the constipation I decided to see what would happen if I cut back on protein. Since I didn't want to eat any at all this wasn't hard.

On day 28 I had one fried egg with my M3, and the same for break fast. Result? My thirst resumed normal levels within 24 hours (around 2 litres a day for me) I had not one but THREE bowel movements yesterday, and another this morning. Hallelujah! I feel so much better it's unreal.

Based on this experiment I made a considered decision to stop right then. If anything I wish I'd had the confidence to simply stop sooner, because I was not handling this protocol well at all. This may sound apocryphal, but it is in fact true (i read about it in the Guardidn Newspaper), a few years back there was a report about a woman who had died following a detox programme. She was being coached through over the phone but she began to get really ill, vomiting and dehydrated. She phone her nutritional coach ( I forget what the coache's precise title was) who told her it was a healing crisis, and to just keep going and drinking lots of water. Cut a long story short, she died. I don't remember any other details now, but I do remember I thought at the time that if it was making her so sick, why did she keep going? Because she trusted the coach more than she trusted herself and her own body, I guess.

The truth is we are all different, and whilst this works for many people it may well not be the best protocol for my particular issue. it certainly wasnt for me. that doesnt mean i think eating whole foods is rubbish, i dont at all. when i left home and started cooking fir myself i soon learned how much of an impact eating good foods had on my body. And I have never been a habitual junk food eater because of that.

I believe that if something is actually helping it will, even a little bit, feel like it is helping. When I began Yoga Nidra for an example, the results were noticeable within a week. And Hatha Yoga felt like a life raft from the beginning. And each time I have given up gluten I get at least some immediate results, even if the whole experience isn't plain sailing. Same happened with sugar.

At those points when my energy was better, instead of accepting that this was just a 'normal for me' fluctuation, I chose to believe it was the protocol - I wanted to, after all, after devoting so much time and energy. This was extremely hard for me to do with my energy levels and I wore myself out cooking and prepping on more than one occasion, so I had a lot vested in the results - there were several days when the only thing I did besides eat was cook, spending the rest of the day in bed.

But the results are disappointing: I did not make any health gains, and have been feeling worse not better. My skin fluctuated along with my gut, which is always the case. My eyes did not sparkle - but constipation can take the spark out of anyone's eye I think. This was doubly disappointing as prior to beginning everything was working well in my gut.

My concentration seems the same, it's hard to evaluate quite frankly, as Yoga Nidra had already improved it so much and I continued my practise throughout the whole 30

And I gained 4lb a- a clear sign that even though I wasn't eating as much as the templates said I should, at around 30% of a comparable healthy persons' energy and activity it was just too much food for me. Whilst I was not overweight, nor was I by any means underweight - in fact I could easily have lost 4lb. Technically I am now overweight

To be fair to the protocol if I had come to it still eating sugar and gluten I would have seen results, I know. But as I was already not eating them, most of my personal gains had already been got. However I have some new recipes and I will definitely carry on making my own mayo and ghee

I am reintroducing only what I had decided upon: i think 28 days is plenty long enough for my body to be able to tell me loud and clear if it doesn't like something I ate. I ate rice last night. It was so good, and so far no issues at all. So off to a good start at least.

[chezjulie]

I'm glad you're feeling better and that you've started reintroduction.

 

I've been trying to do this new mental framing thing for myself, which is that everything is information. Somehow it helps me to be less frustrated when things don't go well. Like now you have information that extremely high protein paleo eating is not for you, reinforcement that yoga nidra is extremely important and beneficial, and an understanding that anything that requires a ton of cooking is going to require a trade-off that's not worth it for you.

 

I'm not trying to be Pollyana-ish because I'm sure that it's very disappointing and frustrating. Believe me, I know how much work the Whole30 is, and that's without wrestling with the type of illness you're dealing with. (I had a somewhat similar experience last year when I tried to do a trendy elimination/anti-inflammation diet, and my main takeaway was that I really like gluten! LOL. It will be interesting to see if I have the same response to it during my Whole30 reintroduction).

 

I also agree with you that people who are already eating a pretty clean, healthy diet often don't see much change or improvement on this program. I've seen several posts in the forum where the person is saying, "I have a healthy BMI and I've been eating clean for 4 years, but why didn't I lose weight?" Gee, because you're already super healthy and fit?

 

What else are you planning to reintroduce?