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Lupus and the final outcome


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Hi.  I'm on day 23 and living with Lupus so that means nothing is ever normal for me. I was already dairy and gluten free for years before I started (background info). I still crave sugar! I still get irritable some days and am still not experiencing any of that wonderful sleep or boundless energy everyone benefits from.  I'm in bed for 9+ hours but restful sleep doesn't happen.  One of the main things is that until 3 days ago I just wasn't pooping.  All this healhy food going in but not really coming out.  Now it's switched and gone to the other spectum and it's diarrea all day/night with cramping and gas. My lupus fog as been mostly gone and an odd posiitve is that my fingernails have changed dramatically and are now much healthier. Clothes still fit the same as well.  I know good things will happen if I keep going but I was hoping for more.  I don't want the only benefits of this to be my nails. I want the whole thing!  My main wish was for a major reduction in inflammation, some weight loss and the sleep/energy deal. I wasn to be the healthiest Lupus gal around.  Any ideas what's going wrong or taking so long?

 

 

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Ok, first off you're not done yet - it's only day 23 of a 30 day programme, and often the most magic happens in the last week. For you, however, coming in to this with a medical condition you should probably expect that it will take longer for your body to heal, and so a little longer before you see results.

As for your bowel movements going from one extreme to the other, and your continued cravings if you'd like to post a few days worth of your food/liquid intake, along with activity levels we can troubleshoot for you & maybe suggest some changes. 

Stick with it - it's not over til it's over!

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Oh dear, Missy!  Please give yourself a break.  Lupus is a big freaking deal.  That is a lot for your body to be dealing with and then to throw full scale change in on top of that with the Whole30, your body is going to need some time to feel safe and start to rebalance to whatever degree it is going to.  Don't compare your unique context with the "average" coming from people who do not have serious full body autoimmune conditions.  

 

Eating in this manner long term is probably going to be your best way to make lasting change.  Unfortunately that lasting change is probably going to come in tiny steps that are going to add up over the longterm.  Lifted fog and healthier fingernails are huge flashing signs that tell you something is happening within you. Is it everything you'd hoped for? Maybe not.  But it means that your body can experience change and is willing to heal.  Please keep your chin up and take each and every step for what it's worth.  A marathon is not one huge jump to the finish, it's each step stacked on top of the last, keep letting your body take these steps in the way it feels the safest.

 

Also note that weight loss is not a calorie equation and expecting it to be so is doing your body a disrespect.  A human body will safely and healthfully release weight when it is hormonally safe.  That rebalancing can take time.  So while you could force your body to drop weight, as we all know that doesn't last and it just does more to screw up your internal rhythms.  Your level best way of dropping excess fat is to let your body heal and teach it that nutrient dense food in appropriate quantities are coming on regular intervals.  Only then will your body think about releasing excess fat.

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I can't add to the great advice Lady Shanny gave you, but maybe I can offer you some hope.  I was recently diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, although not nearly as severe as lupus.  I completed several Whole30s in the past year and none of them helped my main symptoms/issues at all.  The doctor who diagnosed me helped adjust my expectations - he said 30 days is just a drop in the bucket when you're dealing with autoimmune, and I should expect it to take 6-18 months before I am feeling better and these weird symptoms are gone.  The idea of changing your life in 30 days is certainly appealing; unfortunately, not all of us get to experience that. 

 

Are you following the autoimmune version of Whole30?  If not, I recommend it.  I really really (REALLY!!!) miss eggs, cashews, and almond butter, but after eliminating them and then reintroducing, I realized that they definitely aggrivate my symptoms.  So sad...  :(

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thanks for the feedback everyone.  It is so frustrating. I tried so hard to get everyone in my lupus support group to join me on the journey but no luck. One of my ladies even said "I'll change anything to feel better but the food I eat".  I work full time and am down the rest of the time. I really wanted this to show some benefits so it would give me hope for a more balanced life.  You're right the absence of fog and the fingernails are a good start. I welcome all the feedback! p.s. I thought about the AIP but figured I'd start with the regular Whole 30 first.  I'm guess it's the next step, just makes me sad to think I'll miss Indiana tomatoes when they come into season. They're so good...

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thanks for the feedback everyone.  It is so frustrating. I tried so hard to get everyone in my lupus support group to join me on the journey but no luck. One of my ladies even said "I'll change anything to feel better but the food I eat". 

 

http://whole30.com/2014/11/dear-melissa-talking-whole30-with-friends-and-family/

 

 

I work full time and am down the rest of the time. I really wanted this to show some benefits so it would give me hope for a more balanced life.  You're right the absence of fog and the fingernails are a good start. I welcome all the feedback! p.s. I thought about the AIP but figured I'd start with the regular Whole 30 first.  I'm guess it's the next step, just makes me sad to think I'll miss Indiana tomatoes when they come into season. They're so good...

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thanks for the feedback everyone.  It is so frustrating. I tried so hard to get everyone in my lupus support group to join me on the journey but no luck. One of my ladies even said "I'll change anything to feel better but the food I eat".  I work full time and am down the rest of the time. I really wanted this to show some benefits so it would give me hope for a more balanced life.  You're right the absence of fog and the fingernails are a good start. I welcome all the feedback! p.s. I thought about the AIP but figured I'd start with the regular Whole 30 first.  I'm guess it's the next step, just makes me sad to think I'll miss Indiana tomatoes when they come into season. They're so good...

I agree, it IS frustrating.  I used to feel the way your friend did about not wanting to change the food.  I had to get to the point where I was desperate, and a year ago I was.  Some people never get to that point, the food they like to eat is more important to them.  Considering my former Lean Cuisine, diet Coke, and homemade baked goods habits, I'm pretty excited that I can follow this way of eating and be satisfied. 

 

I have read several times on this board that doing a regular Whole30 is recommended before trying one of the modified versions, so you are on the right track. 

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