Day 22...Magic where are you??

[kbsmyth]

I am on day 22 and not feeling much different than before day 1. Feeling pretty discouraged. While I have experienced some benefits I don't know if its enough to keep going after 30 days. It's a LOT of work. Consumes much of my time...which is precious since I never feel I have enough. I really want to continue this for my myself and my family but need to feel like I'm really getting something out of this. Or I know it will be a slippery slope.

 

I have had "bumps in road" aka reasons I may not be feeling "magic"... but even so it's hard to believe after 22 days of eating like this I wouldn't feel more benefits. I actually feel grumpier than I was before Whole 30. This is frustrating.

 

Little about me:

I have always eaten fairly healthy but not large meals and not a lot of animal protein. I do bikram yoga about 3 times a week for exercise and I'm very active with 2 small children (rarely sit down till after 8pm). My food weakness when I splurge - red wine, cheese & crackers, cereal, dark chocolate. 

 

My Whole 30 Goals:

1. Improved mood.

2. More energy.

3. Not over weight but would like my pants to fit better.

 

Bumps in Road:

1. Btwn days 10 and 15 I accidentally licked trace amount of ranch dressing feeding my son and ate tiny pasta shell to see if it was ready...again feeding children. (while we are incorporating this into our children's diet we are just trying to get a hold of it ourselves first)

2. Staying up late some nights watching TV/IPad, which I know doesn't help my energy the next day.

3. Still have a snack after dinner about 50% of time - piece of fruit or lara bar with cup of tea. This is definitely psychological and I am trying to figure out how to get myself to stop before the end of 30 days.  

4. Some difficulty figuring out how much to eat. Often I feel too full for fear I will be hungry later. I eat a LOT more than I used to. When I try eating less it seems like I'm hungry before next meal. I was a big snacker and rarely ate till I felt full. 

 

On the positive side...

 

Benefits I HAVE experienced:

1. Slight energy increase after lunch. Used to need coffee or nap to get through day. 

2. Actually feel full after each meal and no need to snack..or not often.

3. Few nights sleep where I closed my eyes and next thing I knew it was morning (very unusual for me). 

4. My mother lost 15 pds and husband 7 pds so far. They are both overweight and this is really great!

 

I've attached a typical day of what we eat. Anybody have a similar experience, any insight or words of encouragement??

 

Food Journal – Typical Day

Breakfast-

Lots of veggies (onions, peppers, zucchini, spinach or kale etc), 2 -3 eggs, sometimes bacon or prosciutto and usually some sort of starchy veggie like sweet potato, little bit of fruit

 

Lunch –

Usually fish or egg dish (tuna fish, salmon balls, fried fish, egg salad or hard boiled), big salad with lots of veggies (spinach, carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes…),  handful nuts and maybe piece of fruit

 

Dinner -  

This varies greatly. Here are some examples – buffalo chicken stuffed green peppers, no grain meatballs with spaghetti squash, salmon with mango salsa and roasted veggies, pork tenderloin with thai coleslaw and sweet potato fries, chuck roast stew with mashed potatoes, grilled shrimp with grilled veggies.

 

Almost always have a green salad with dinner as well.

 

 

 

 

[Munkers]

On the days that you're pairing meat with your eggs, you're probably hitting your required protein, but on other days, your breakfast is looking light. I also don't see much, if any fat with your breakfast and that's a big part of feeling satisfied. Remember that a lot of your cooking fat doesn't actually end up on your plate, so consider adding a drizzle of ghee or olive oil to your veggies with breakst.

 

Fruit, while allowed, can still contribute to blood sugar fluctuations for some folks which will play with your hunger and impact mood. Consider cutting down your fruit consumption to one meal per day OR using it strictly as a condiment (like your mango salsa).

 

Remember that for some people, 30 days is just a start. Your body may still be working on healing itself and thus no magic quite yet. But you are sleeping better and have more stable energy in the afternoons and those are both really good signs that your hormones are sorting themselves out. So try to focus on the meal template for all three meals and make sure that you're drinking lots of water and getting to bed on time. I know that it's difficult with kids, but you will feel the effects of skimping on sleep.

[Physibeth]

Your benefits sound great actually! Remember this is a 30 day program not a 22 day program and many people don't feel the big changes until the very end. But the changes you have listed sound great. (just a reminder that the scale is off limits for Whole30...that is a rule...not sure if your mother and husband are trying to do strict W30 but putting that here just in case)

 

The few slips that you noted could contribute to the lack of "magic" you are feeling for sure. Have you read the Do I Really Need to Start Over blog post? 

 

For the most part your food looks fine...Munkers beat me too most of what I was going to say about adjusting it. Also I'm assuming this is what you are eating not your husband? Looking mostly at the eggs...your hands are probably smaller than his so his portion sizes should be larger than yours.

[ladyshanny]

Regarding the night snacking.  This is detrimental to your goals.  Larabars are candy.  Straight and simple.  Eating them or fruit at night and without anything (like a proper template meal) to help mitigate the sugar, you are sending a bomb into your system just before bed.  Not good, sorry.  

 

The best way to "get yourself to stop" is to just stop.  Really.  Eat dinner, make a cup of tea and go and do something else.  Read a book, watch a favourite show, weed the garden, walk around the yard in your bare feet, watch ants crawl around, rock in a rocking chair and breath calmly, have a bath, go to bed early, dust your coffee table, clean a junk drawer.  You don't physically need  to eat the night time snack so go do something to take the place of that little 'reward' at the end of your day.

 

If you are finding yourself with a second wind in the evening that is causing you to want to snack and stay up late, consider that is a high sign that your hormones are out of balance.  The best way to turn this around is to eat three full template meals with no snacking starting within an hour of waking in the morning and going to bed at a reasonable time.  Consider some sleep hygiene also.  Inadequate sleep is going to impact your results.

 

http://whole9life.com/2014/09/improve-your-sleep/

http://whole9life.com/2014/09/improve-sleep-quality/