Day 9 and needing a boost!!

[yapette]

Day 9 into my very first Whole30! I can definitely see why the timeline says that if you're going to quit, you're most likely to quit right around this time. My "good decision" high has worn off and the super energy boost I was feeling last week has gone in the absolute opposite direction (even though I'm finally sleeping through the night again). I'm still finding meals super yummy, but recent tummy troubles have made meal time less appetizing. I haven't seen any (positive) changes to my body composition yet. My poor husband tells me I've been grouchy and, if given a choice, I'd likely choose to stay home in my PJs all day and ignore the world. Fortunately work keeps me in the land of the living, but even at work I'm feeling like a sourpuss.

 

I'm having a lot of doubt right now and I just wanted to say hi and see if anyone else out there has been through it and has come out on the other side. I'm finding myself second guessing my program - am I doing it right? Are my portions too big/too small? Am I eating too many (sweet) potatoes? I'm using the Whole30 book and the Instagram page for all my recipes, so I can't imagine that I'm doing it incorrectly.

 

I'm so committed to doing this for myself, but I admit I'm in a rough patch and since this is my first Whole30, I don't know if the benefits are just waiting right around the corner. 21 days to go and I want to stay strong!!

 

Thanks for listening

 

 

 

 

[GFChris]

A gentle reminder that it's a 30 day program. http://whole30.com/2014/01/whole30-tough-love/

 

Regarding the stomach troubles, is there any new food you've introduced on a Whole30 that you were not eating prior, or something you're eating more of?

For us to best help you, post 2-3 days worth of your typical food log, including portion sizes, daily water consumption, nightly hours of sleep and any exercise. Then, we can give you more specific feedback on possible tweaks.

[SugarcubeOD]

The benefits ARE waiting right around the corner!  As you have seen yourself, the timeline, for you, is dead on... so let it run it's course and see it through!  You're tough enough, I know you are!!

[Jwillow]

I love this post, look foward to seeing your meal plan...I'm only on day 2.

[chezjulie]

There is a light at the end of the Whole30 tunnel! Tiredness and tummy troubles are par for the course at times, and people often don't see a change in body composition until they are more like 2/3 of the way through. You've committed to 9 days and you like the food, so keep going!

[yapette]

Thanks for all the positivity!!

 

Ghee and avocado oil are really the only things I wasn't eating before, but I'm also eating a lot more spinach than I was before. My meals are all portioned at the size of a dinner plate.

 

M1 yesterday: two fried eggs, about two cups of spinach, a palm-sized hashbrown made with roasting potatoes and a handful of cherry tomatoes. Black coffee to drink.

 

M1 today: two scrambled eggs, about two cups of spinach, a handful of cherry tomatoes, about 4 small mushrooms, three roasted potatoes, chopped. Black coffee to drink.

 

M2 yesterday: 3 chicken meatballs with the tangy bbq sauce from the Whole30 book. About one cup of baby carrots and a simple green salad with 1 chopped apple and oil and red wine vinegar dressing

 

M2 today: 3 chicken meatballs with tangy bbq sauce (leftovers). 1 chopped cucumber and about 7 baby carrots with salt, pepper, olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing.

 

M3 yesterday: 1 hamburger patty with mustard and tangy bbq sauce (leftover). Three grilled zucchini and a garden salad with radishes, olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing

 

M3 today: 1 broiled chicken thigh, 1.5 cups cauliflower with lemon juice, red wine vinegar and garlic dressing, five roasted baby broccoli, dressed in avocado oil

 

I have not been logging or monitoring my water consumption, because I've always been really good about drinking a lot of water. On a normal day, I drink around 2-3 24 oz water bottles.

 

As far as exercise, I do 10-30 minutes of yoga every morning. It's definitely one of my goals to add more exercise into my program. Tonight I went on a 4 mile hike and am already feeling much better. 

 

I'm really determined not to give up! I really appreciate the positivity and any advice I can get. I'm looking forward to tomorrow and the days ahead. During our hike I even got my husband to commit to starting his own Whole30 starting July 21st. 

 

Best!

[GFChris]

On the stomach trouble side, foods you're eating that can cause issues for some are raw vegetables, mushrooms, cauliflower and broccoli. You might try switching to all cooked veggies, and dropping the mushrooms and cruciferous vegetables for a few days and see if you notice any improvement.

On water consumption, 48 - 72 oz of water would be good if you weighed between 96 lbs and 144 lbs.  We recommend consuming 1/2 an ounce of water per pound of body weight, daily.

Other notables:

- when eggs are your sole protein, the serving size is the number of whole eggs you can hold in one hand without dropping them. For most folks, that's 3-4 eggs.
- otherwise, use your hand (not your plate) for gauging protein serving size. You want 1-2 palms of protein per meal, where one palm is the length, width and thickness of the palm of your hand.  I'm thinking some of  your protein servings are on the light side.