day 20 and frustrated

[Monroemi]

I started the whole30 in hopes of getting rid of some horrible food habits (fast food and diet coke) and was excited because people mentioned less fatigue, clearer skin, and reductions in inflammatory symptoms. On day 20 my face is broken out with acne and I didn't have acne before starting the whole30, I had decent sleep before now I am in bed at 10 pm and unable to go back to sleep after waking up at 1 or 2 in the am, and got a debilitating migraine at work today which is causing me to leave early. I have read my labels and not included any off plan ingredients. please help, I'm reaching for the diet coke as I type....

[Carlaccini]

Okay - sorry to hear that you are feeling crummy.

 

This is not entirely unusual.  It's best to start from the beginning and then start from there.

 

Are you able to list a couple of days worth of meals in detail so we might be able to help you troubleshoot.

 

Some initial thoughts are:

 

You may be eating too many nuts - nuts are famous for giving us digestive upset, acne and yes disruptive sleep.

Are you eating enough?  It is very important that you follow the meal template of 3 meals consisting of 1 - 2 palm sized (that's 3 dimensional palm sized) portion, + 2 -3 cuts of veg, 1 - 2 thumbsized portions of fat.

Also make sure you are consuming enough water - aim for drinking half your body weight in ounces a day.  So a 120lb person should be consuming about 60 oz of water daily.

How are your stress levels?

[Carolgirl]

Well, today is day 22 and I am sticking to this like glue. I had a few dreams about food last night, lol

 

Funny thing happened earlier this week. I went to the doctor for just a regular checkup and blood work up. The first thing they did, was weigh me. Of course I peeked and was shocked that I and not lost one freekin pound! I was pissed! I have been so diligent with this plan and I not even cheated once. Not even close. Now I understand why they say not to weigh. I don't feel like I went off the plan because of this because I did not weigh myself. I just peeked. lol Couldn't help it. I am certainly not going to start over.

 

So, I figured that maybe I have been have too large of salads. I have cut down my eating but my stomach hurts from being hungry. Then my mind gets in the picture and says, "Is this really worth it?" I think it is crazy to get to bed hungry and it makes me mad. I eat three meals all with protein and veggies. Lots of veggies. I eat avocados with every meal. I have a handful of nuts with some coconut for a snack. I may have an apple, banana, some grapes, or more avocado for a snack.

 

I also am not feeling all this extra energy that they speak of. I do sleep well though. Except for the last few nights when I wake up because I am so damn hungry! Ugh!!! I am discouraged but I am going to the end and I will not quit. I am not a quitter. Even if I am starving. 

 

Maybe I am drinking too much coffee. I have up to 5 cups a day.

 

Any suggestions?

 

I kinda feel like crying. 

[jmcbn]

Can you post a few days worth of food/liquid intake, activity etc to give a better idea of how you've been doing? Perhaps there are some tweaks that can be made to make you feel more energised - although do bear in mind it's called a whole30 for a reason and a lot of people report the biggest changes in the last week....

[SugarcubeOD]

Okay, first of all, there's not really such thing as 'too large of salads', unless you're eating a wheelbarrow full.

No one expects or wants you to be in stomach pain because you're hungry, so eat... not eating will not supercharge weightloss or any other magic that comes with the Whole30.

 

Second of all, 5 cups of coffee seems to be excessive... are you drinking some of those cups after 12pm?

 

My suggestion would be to eat more, don't worry about what the scale says and remember it's a 30 day program.

[Carlaccini]

Carolgirl - please stop and read what you posted.  Please. Like right now.

 

First of all if your stomach is hurting because you are hungry - feed it! don't starve it!  Do you know what starving does to your system?  (I really and truly know - trust me)  It severely harms your system metabolically and you pay for it.  I am still paying for it and I went through my starvation mode more than 12 years ago.

 

Okay just to break things down and be more helpful.

 

The fact that you are drinking 5 coffees tells me something - 1 you are not eating enough and you are trying to squash your hunger signals by drinking coffee (an appetite suppressant)

2) you are needing to snack which tells me that your meals are not nearly big enough

 

Did you know by not eating enough you can your push your body in the wrong direction?  Basically by starving yourself you will cause your body into a stress cortisol response which will cause your body to hold onto all things.  This type of response will cause you to gain or not loose weight.  Seriously.

 

Eat a large salad (think mixing bowl size) Add a full can of tuna (a large can not a small one) add a cut up boiled egg.  Add a handful of nuts and some homemade salad dressing.   This would be a proper sized meal.  Think of salad like this:  if you would cook a handful down of spinach - you would have maybe a couple of tablespoons there.  A couple tablespoons worth of salad will not hold you for a very long time.

 

Please also include some starchy vegetables in with your meals - too low carb (especially for women) will cause our bodies to backfire.  I did low carb last year sometime (for a bout 3 weeks) because - I like you - wanted to lose weight.  Well guess what?  My body protested, and gained weight instead.  (I gained about 6 lbs) So please do try to include one fist size portion of starchy veg with one of your meals (preferably the last one as it may help you sleep)

 

So please eat.  Eat more than you think is proper.  Really.  Trust this process.  Your body needs nourishment and it's trying to tell you that.  Throw out what common wisdom is telling you to starve yourself.  Please.

[Beeskie]

I'm on Day 21. I have religiously followed this program including feeding myself enough even during meals that I did not want to eat at all for lack of being hungry.

I sleep better.

That's it. And that's great! But that's it.

My skin is fine but no better than it was before. And I feel fat as ever. I'm going to finish this out. And I do believe that this is more along the right ways to eat, certainly than I did before. But this is not a diet to lose weight for me. I get that it's not for everyone. I'm really bummed about it. I can't lie. But I guess it will be back to the dreaded food/calorie counting if I actually want to drop any weight (which I desperately want to do.)

Just wanted to chime in to say you're not alone.

[jmcbn]

Food restriction/calorie counting causes your body to think that there is a shortage of food - fat in particular - so it goes into hibernation mode and holds on to what supplies of fat it has in order to survive, slowing down your metabolism meaning you burn even less calories, and so calorie restriction is counter-productive. If it was working so well for you before then you wouldn't be here now.

If you've come from a place where you've been counting calories then it may take your body a little longer to adjust to this way of eating as it replenishes the nutrients it's been missing from the sheer lack of food, and storing a little in case this extra food thing is just temporary! Your body needs to heal before it will start functioning as it should, and the fact that you say you are feeding yourself when you are not hungry is indicative that your hormones are probably still out of whack...

Remember that this is a whole30, NOT a whole21, and bear in mind that many people report the biggest changes in the final week. Many others report that it took a good 60 days for them to see the kind of results that others reported. Bear in mind also that weight loss will only happen if it needs to.

If you post a few days worth of food consumption, water intake & activities the mods could take a look and see if there are any changes you could make to maximize the last 9 days.

[Loulabelle]

How much weight do the two of you actually have to lose? I ask as in the time I have been here I have noticed that it is those who do not have so much to lose that complain the most about not losing any. If you only have 5-10kg to lose you might not lose anything in 30 days, I didn't I gained 2 kg's. I figured that my body had other work to do. Since my W30 back in Feb I have kept on with this way of eating with the odd off road for a glass of wine or short reintroduction and I have lost those 2 kilos and another 5kg on top of them. I haven't felt or looked so good since before I had my boys (20kg weight gain each time). So that is 7kg lost and I have not been hungry, I have eaten template meals 95% of the time and can not even contemplate not feeding & nourishing myself properly. Starving your body into submission is not the way to be healthy.

[Carolgirl]

Ok...I hear you loud and clear. I just need to eat more. I will only have 2 cups of coffee before noon and that's it.

 

Breakfast; A big handful of spinach, one egg, i/4 cup each of green onions, mushrooms, and tomato, and 1/4 an avocado. Scramble in a tablespoon of coconut oil. One strip of good bacon, and half of a grapefruit. Plus one cup of coffee.

 

Lunch: About 3 cups of spinach, half an avocado, 1/2 cup of tomatoes, mushrooms, shredded carrots, some green onions, handful of blueberries, 3 strawberries, 2 hard boiled eggs, and about 1/8 cup of avocado oil or EVOO and s&p. Water to drink.

 

Dinner: handful size of salmon cooked in ghee with half sweet potato broiled in a bit coconut oil, or grilled chicken breast or steak cooked with stir fry veggies (about 3 cups), sesame oil, ginger, s&p. 

 

For a snack I might have a handful of nuts, an apple, banana, or some berries.

 

That's a typical day for me. 

[jmcbn]

Yep, you're very low on protein at every meal.

 

Eggs, when they are the only source of protein should be the number of whole eggs you can hold in one hand - which is 3-4 for most people. Bacon is a fat source on whole 30.

Fruit should be eaten with, or as part of a meal, not on it's own as a snack - the fact that you are needing to snack is indicative that your meals aren't big enough.

All easy things to fix.... 

[ShannonM816]

Ok...I hear you loud and clear. I just need to eat more. I will only have 2 cups of coffee before noon and that's it.

 

Breakfast; A big handful of spinach, one egg, i/4 cup each of green onions, mushrooms, and tomato, and 1/4 an avocado. Scramble in a tablespoon of coconut oil. One strip of good bacon, and half of a grapefruit. Plus one cup of coffee.

 

Lunch: About 3 cups of spinach, half an avocado, 1/2 cup of tomatoes, mushrooms, shredded carrots, some green onions, handful of blueberries, 3 strawberries, 2 hard boiled eggs, and about 1/8 cup of avocado oil or EVOO and s&p. Water to drink.

 

Dinner: handful size of salmon cooked in ghee with half sweet potato broiled in a bit coconut oil, or grilled chicken breast or steak cooked with stir fry veggies (about 3 cups), sesame oil, ginger, s&p. 

 

For a snack I might have a handful of nuts, an apple, banana, or some berries.

 

That's a typical day for me. 

 

Go back and reread the meal template. A serving of protein is not a handful of protein, it's 1-2 palm-sized pieces of protein -- that's the length, width, and depth of your palm. When eggs are your only source of protein, the serving size is as many whole eggs as you can hold in your hand. That's probably 3-4. 

 

Your breakfast needs more eggs, or some other type of protein. Your big handful of spinach probably cooked down to a quarter cup, plus the quarter cups of each of the other three vegetables -- you had one cup of vegetables with that meal. You can definitely add more.  

 

Your lunch needs a little more protein. I'm assuming that's a salad, right? Pay attention with salads to how you feel after you eat them -- do they keep you full for 4-5 hours? Because often, the raw leafy vegetables are just not as good for keeping you full. If you're hungry an hour or two after you eat, try adding some denser vegetables to your salad -- throw in some roasted beets or sweet potatoes, or make chunkier salads, using broccoli, cauliflower, jicama, zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, radishes.

 

Supper may be light on protein, as I said before, you're not going for a handful of protein, but a piece or two that's as big as your palm.

 

If you need snacks, your meals are not big enough -- but while you're working on figuring out how big your meals need to be to keep you satisfied for 4-5 hours, if you are hungry between meals, have a mini-meal with protein, fat, and vegetables, not just fruit or nuts.

[SugarcubeOD]

Are you still hungry after you eat your typical day worth of food?   I can't see how you wouldn't be hungry after your breakfast...

 

It all boils down to this... if you're hungry between meals, you're not eating enough AT the meals.   The fact that you have such accurate counts of exactly what you're eating, down to '3 strawberries' leads me to believe that you come from a calorie counting/food tracking way of eating... this can for SURE be difficult to part with but your own body is a better judge of what you need than a one size fits all calorie allotment.

Salad greens are, in my opinion, not worth counting toward the vegetable count unless you're eating... well... a wheelbarrow full... which you're not. For the longest time I didn't even eat salad because it was easier to get more quantity of vegetables by eating roasted (cold roasted veg are delicious) veg instead of eating the wheelbarrow full of greens.  Maybe try that?  And three eggs and one tiny piece of salmon for an entire days worth of protein is a recipe for disaster, not only on that day but cumulatively... 

[Beeskie]

I felt a little bad this morning for posting that last post if it in any way steals focus from the original people posting or if I seem like a whiner! I was at a celebratory function and generally feeling low as I have the two other times I have had to be social at an eating/drinking function in the last 22 days. They have been the times I have felt emotional/frustrated/bummed the most and not feeling results on top of that makes it seem like- what am I doing this for? And also feel some self loathing like- well this is what I get for not taking control of my weight before this. Both of which I know are not the point of the Whole 30. I 100% understand that the point is that you ARE taking CARE of yourself now. And doing something that is good for your body.

I did not come into this plan eating garbage all the time. I had a relatively healthy diet, just probably too much of the things that should just be splurges (like wine or cheese or bread/chips/etc). I'm 5'5 and (if I still weigh the same which I suspect I do- I weigh 152 lbs. I would really like to be at 135. Also- I don't really care about that number. That's just the weight that I associate with the last time I felt good and my clothes fit right and I didn't feel gross. If I stayed at this weight but my body felt like that, whatever! That's fine with me.

A typical day for me looks like this:

B- 2 eggs with either 1-2 pieces of compliant bacon, spinach, tomatoes. Or last nights leftovers (coconut curry chicken over cauliflower rice for example). Or maybe a veggie frittata with Avacado on top. Maybe a cup Of coffee definitely AFTER breakfast. Have also tried working some sweet potato in at times at the suggestion of getting a starch in there.

L- something like chicken salad (homemade mayo, poached chicken, celery, salt and pepper) over some greens with tomato, beets, avocado. Compliant olive oil and vinegar dressing.

D - a grilled or baked protein and veggies with a salad. Maybe half a sweet potato or roasted red potatoes. Or ground turkey "tacos" using lettuce wraps.

I absolutely never snack between breakfast and lunch. IF I get hungry due to postponing dinner for any reason - maybe a half a handful of nuts or a hard boiled egg between lunch and dinner. And I'm not much of a fruit eater but will occasionally have a banana or green apple at the end of a meal if I think to and am still hungry.

I know exercise could be a bigger part of my life and I can't wait until I have knee surgery on July 1 and can actually make that happen. As it is now- most of my activity is chasing around 1 and 3 year old boys.

I've really tried to turn my attitude around today. I have 8 days left. At one point I saw myself wanting to keep going for as long as I could but wondering maybe if it might be better to do light reintro on a few select items while primarily still sticking to Whole 30 and then recommit again for another one shortly. I know my body needs more than 30 days to get where I need to be. I have always suspected that. I was just hoping that 30 days of something this restrictive would at least have *some* effect on my weight.

I really appreciate this forum and the support and advice people here who know the program better and longer than I do, have to give. And again- apologies if anyone feels like I'm piggybacking this thread!

Wishing everyone a great rest of your day wherever you are in this journey.

[SugarcubeOD]

). I'm 5'5 and (if I still weigh the same which I suspect I do- I weigh 152 lbs. I would really like to be at 135. Also- I don't really care about that number. 

 I was just hoping that 30 days of something this restrictive would at least have *some* effect on my weight.

 

These two statements are quite contradictory... If you don't care about the number then why is that the only thing you seem to be looking at as an indicator of success?

 

You also said that if you felt good but in the body/weight you are now, then you would be happy... so lets try concentrating on the non scale victories... like you have energy to chase around your toddlers, you are strong enough to say no at not one or two but THREE social events, and you're going to heal well and quickly from your surgery if you keep up this way of eating because it will mean you go into the surgery without excess inflammation.  That all sounds fabulous to me!!

 

(you aren't stealing anyone's thread thunder...)

[Carolgirl]

Thank you all so much. I'm going back to the drawing board and rereading everything. I actually skimmed through most of it the first time (excitability factor). I am headed to the store to stock up on more protein and a variety of veggies.

 

I am changing my mindset from less is better to more is better when it comes to eating clean foods.

 

I know that I can do this. I am committed, obviously. So, I think I am going to go another 30 days after this is up. I am just starting to incorporate some walking into my days as well. Yes...I am looking for weight loss (40 lbs) but more so to be healthy and not addicted to sugar and junk.

[crlhi]

I started the whole30 in hopes of getting rid of some horrible food habits (fast food and diet coke) and was excited because people mentioned less fatigue, clearer skin, and reductions in inflammatory symptoms. On day 20 my face is broken out with acne and I didn't have acne before starting the whole30, I had decent sleep before now I am in bed at 10 pm and unable to go back to sleep after waking up at 1 or 2 in the am, and got a debilitating migraine at work today which is causing me to leave early. I have read my labels and not included any off plan ingredients. please help, I'm reaching for the diet coke as I type....

 

I feel you!! I am on day 20 too and my skin looks horrible not to mention I am dragging so much. I wish I could help you, but know that you are almost at the end. Hopefully this whole30 kicks in soon for both of us. It seems my first round went way better than this. Maybe the 20th day just sucks lol

[MeadowLily]

I feel you!! I am on day 20 too and my skin looks horrible not to mention I am dragging so much. I wish I could help you, but know that you are almost at the end. Hopefully this whole30 kicks in soon for both of us. It seems my first round went way better than this. Maybe the 20th day just sucks lol

Okay, I'm going to ask you something...are you sitting down?

 

Have you been eating Trail Mix?  I'm talking about dried fruits and nuts.  That's Trail Mix where I come from and it will mess with your skin.  If you have an extra sensitivity to nuts and have recently just added them in, that will break the face out, too.

 

Trail Mix - dried fruit and nuts wrecks havoc with the skin.   Even if you don't touch them, flush your skin with as many green and roasted vegetables as you can.  9 cups aday keeps the lumps and bumps away.   You're gorgeous.  Greens, greens, greens.  

[SpinSpin]

I second what Meadow said--I don't do nuts or dried fruits at all--and I can't remember when the last time I had a zit was, even during THAT time of the month. I also eat upwards of 12 cups of veg a day--upped from 6-9 over the last year. And I have been doing this for quite awhile and I am NOW in the last 6 -8 months have lost 50 lbs. Believe in this plan. It works. 

[MeadowLily]

SpinSpin - it's not bragging if it's true.  I haven't eaten any Trail Mix either!  Hoo-ah!

[SpinSpin]

SpinSpin - it's not bragging if it's true.  I haven't eaten any Trail Mix either!  Hoo-ah!

 

Oh it is true!! My nut without brakes is the lovely Mac nut---they are forever banished from my island! And I just don't do dried fruit either--and I have the required box of raisins in my cupboard for my little guy.... but I don't think he is a big dried fruit fan either--because I just tossed the box because it had expired from not being eaten! 

 

(ETA: I do have a bag of almond flour in the freezer for breading items, but not for paleo goodies--and the bag has been in the freezer since before Christmas--so even flour doesn't get used that much!)

[Beeskie]

so lets try concentrating on the non scale victories... like you have energy to chase around your toddlers, you are strong enough to say no at not one or two but THREE social events, and you're going to heal well and quickly from your surgery if you keep up this way of eating because it will mean you go into the surgery without excess inflammation. That all sounds fabulous to me!!

Thank you for this reminder. Trying to focus more on the positive!