arianabanana Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 As soon as I started my Whole30, my belly started retaining water like crazy. It got so huge it looked like I was pregnant. But I could tell it was water because it was really puffy and when I poked it, it would ripple. I would drink lots of water but rarely pee, so the water just accumulated in my abdominal area. My belly was so big, I had difficulty breathing. I tried experimenting with the sources of protein I was eating. For example, I would try eating only lean beef, but the problem persisted. Then I tried only chicken, same problem. Only eggs, same issue. So it seems to be not an issue with a specific source of protein, but with all protein in general. I tried not to get discouraged, and so I continued my Whole30 for six months. But the problem persisted. Also, I gained like 15 pounds. Which is really depressing because I'm already very overweight. However, a few days ago, I reached the end of my rope. I was so fed up, I just stopped eating protein for a couple of days (I just ate veggies and fat) and my body completely flushed out all of the water and I felt sooo much better! My stomach was flat and hard again! However, I experienced joint pain and exhaustion. And my skin wasn't glowing anymore. Then last night, I decided to try and eat three scrambled eggs, and much to my frustration I immediately started retaining water again! The difficulty breathing returned. But my skin was glowing once again and I felt more energized and refreshed. However, I would rather be able to breathe with ease. So I just don't know what to do. It's extremely disheartening to read all of these success stories and to feel like such a failure. Like something is very wrong with me. However, I never had an issue with protein prior to Whole30. I just don't know what to do from here. I wish someone could tell me what's wrong with me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ultrarunnergirl Posted July 20, 2015 Moderators Share Posted July 20, 2015 Sorry this is happening. Please post your meals for the past 2 - 3 days so we can help. ** Whoops - I read that a little too fast. Sounds like you could use the help of a functional practitioner. Whole9 offers this service if you are interested: http://whole9life.com/personal-consulting/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirkor Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 This sounds like an issue beyond anything Whole30-specific. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeadowLily Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Also, I gained like 15 pounds. Which is really depressing because I'm already very overweight. I just stopped eating protein for a couple of days (I just ate veggies and fat) and my body completely flushed out all of the water and I felt sooo much better My stomach was flat and hard again! See your doctor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ShannonM816 Posted July 20, 2015 Moderators Share Posted July 20, 2015 I really think you should contact your doctor. Anything that causes difficulty breathing, and especially where you feel like a change is very sudden (within a 24 hour period of making a change), in my opinion warrants a doctor visit, just to be sure there's not some underlying cause that needs to be treated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arianabanana Posted July 20, 2015 Author Share Posted July 20, 2015 Thanks for the reply. So the past few days have been without protein. It's tough for me to remember everything I ate the past few days but yesterday I had: -coconut chunks -avocado -macademia nuts -banana -apple -carrot soup -kim chi -walnuts I might be forgetting something but I basically just ate veggies and fat like that for a few days, which completely flushed out all of the water. Then I ate the 3 eggs and blew up again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators ladyshanny Posted July 20, 2015 Administrators Share Posted July 20, 2015 This is very odd and I would have to agree with Kirkor, this is probably not the place to hope for diagnosis. In almost all cases protein will cause people who are retaining water to release it so for you to be having a dramatically opposite effect is something a doctor would probably need to be involved with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arianabanana Posted July 20, 2015 Author Share Posted July 20, 2015 Perhaps I should go to my doctor, but I am very reluctant because I know that she doesn't know much about nutrition, and probably wouldn't approve of the Whole30. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators ladyshanny Posted July 20, 2015 Administrators Share Posted July 20, 2015 Thanks for the reply. So the past few days have been without protein. It's tough for me to remember everything I ate the past few days but yesterday I had: -coconut chunks -avocado -macademia nuts -banana -apple -carrot soup -kim chi -walnuts I might be forgetting something but I basically just ate veggies and fat like that for a few days, which completely flushed out all of the water. Then I ate the 3 eggs and blew up again I just wanted to check in on one more thing. You say that the above is the "veggies and fat" that you ate for the last few days.........yet the only vegetable that I see is carrot soup and kim chi and unless you are very, VERY used to eating kimchi, it is a fermented food and is not eaten in 1-3 cup quantities.When you were on Whole30, were you eating actual vegetables? When you did your "no protein" test did you also cut out most of the veggies you'd been eating? Perhaps it's something else such as FODMAP sensitivity or too many of the cruciferous family? Perhaps it's not the protein but the lack of vegetables/too much fruit that is causing your ongoing bloating? What sorts of veggies were you eating during your 6 months on Whole30? Raw veggies and those such as cabbage, cauliflower, brocoli, onions and peppers can all cause major digestive issues to people if they are sensitive or the quantities are too great. Did you ever have days where you were not as bloated? How much fruits did you eat in a regular day? What were your meals composed of, typically? A hard belly is also not a particularly healthy sign unless you are referring to being able to feel solid abdominal muscle in which case you are hardly "very overweight". Please remember that none on this forum are medical doctors or qualified to provide you with medical advice and if you are concerned you should always see a doctor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ShannonM816 Posted July 20, 2015 Moderators Share Posted July 20, 2015 Perhaps I should go to my doctor, but I am very reluctant because I know that she doesn't know much about nutrition, and probably wouldn't approve of the Whole30. Don't say Whole30, don't say Paleo. Say, I've been trying to eat home cooked meals with lots of vegetables, some protein, healthy fats, and some fruits. It's really hard for anyone to argue that that isn't healthy. Explain that you notice the symptoms happen when you eat meat or eggs, and that they don't when you leave them out, and you want to find out why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arianabanana Posted July 20, 2015 Author Share Posted July 20, 2015 Hmmm. I really appreciate all of your input. Thanks for giving me something to consider. Here is an example of a Whole30 day for me: Meal 1: 3 scrambled eggs fried in 0.5 tbsp of ghee 2 zucchinis fried in 0.5 tbsp of ghee Meal 2: Palm-sized portion of smoked salmon Handful of olives A couple handfuls of baby carrots Meal 3: 2 chicken thighs fried in 0.5 tbsp of ghee 1 onion fried in 0.5 tbsp of ghee Also I should mention that I went without nuts or fruits for a solid three months but that didn't seem to resolve the issue. Now that I really look at it, do you think maybe I wasn't eating enough vegetables? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators ladyshanny Posted July 20, 2015 Administrators Share Posted July 20, 2015 Now that I really look at it, do you think maybe I wasn't eating enough vegetables? Absolutely. The range is 1-3 cups, 1 cups being adequate, 3+ cups being optimal. And lots of variety between the raw ones and the cooked ones (note, cooked veggies are way easier on your stomach than raw so you would probably want to stick to cooked for awhile). Your three plates for the day should encompass nearly 6-9 cups of veggies of all varieties. Some people report feeling their absolute best, digestively, when they include at least a few handfuls of leafy dark greens every day. Think kale, spinach, chard etc. Did you have any digestive issues with your bloating? Constipation etc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arianabanana Posted July 20, 2015 Author Share Posted July 20, 2015 Thank you so much. I will seriously up my veggie intake, making sure to include dark leafy greens, and report back. And I didn't really feel as if I had any digestive issues with my bloating, but when I took the protein out, all of a sudden I kept going #2 (I think I went like 4 times yesterday!) It wasn't diarrhea though, and my insides felt really clean. Now that I really think about it, perhaps I wasn't going enough on Whole30 (due to my veggie intake being low). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arianabanana Posted July 24, 2015 Author Share Posted July 24, 2015 Update: Increasing my veggie intake did not resolve the issue. If anything, it got worse So I went to the hospital emergency department. I did a urine test, an ultrasound, and a blood test. Everything came back normal. The doctor couldn't tell me what was wrong with me or why I'm retaining so much water. I have another ultrasound in a couple of days. I just feel so discouraged and frustrated Why is this happening to me and no one else? I never had this issue before Whole30. I really cannot stress enough just how badly this issue is affecting my quality of life. Carrying 20 pounds of excess water weight around my abdominal area is more than just an inconvenience. Breathing is really a struggle, which makes it difficult for me to sleep at night. At this point I'm tempted to just quit eating Whole30, but I know that a host of other issues will return - like extreme exhaustion and joint pain. I just don't know what to do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators ladyshanny Posted July 24, 2015 Administrators Share Posted July 24, 2015 I just feel so discouraged and frustrated Why is this happening to me and no one else? I never had this issue before Whole30. I really cannot stress enough just how badly this issue is affecting my quality of life. Carrying 20 pounds of excess water weight around my abdominal area is more than just an inconvenience. Breathing is really a struggle, which makes it difficult for me to sleep at night. I know that you want to find an answer but there really and truly is nothing about eating protein, veggies and fats that will cause you to retain 20# worth of water and cause breathing issues. I'm sorry that this happened at the same time as your Whole30. Please continue to seek out a doctor your trust or possibly a functional medicine doctor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldehiker Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 airianna banana, When I stopped the grains, dairy and legumes my water retention/swelling etc stopped. Make sure nothing is sneaking into your plate like that.. and good luck!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fitforlife2 Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 Is the fluid your holding in your legs an feet? you should go see a Dr, check with a heart, or lung dr. something just isn't right an I agree with a few other posts here may not be where you will find a answer. Good Luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cayenne Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 Just a few questions....how old are you and do you have a history of cardiac issues? Do you have high blood pressure? How is your kidney function? I am just a civilian with health care experience x 32 years and this is top priority over W30. Doesn't sound like any diet /food issue to me. Go to your 1* care doctor that has a history with you, not the emergency room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cayenne Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 Addendum-Go to the ER if you are struggling to breathe, of course. Follow up with your 1* MD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arianabanana Posted July 28, 2015 Author Share Posted July 28, 2015 Hi. Thanks for all the replies. I have seen a couple of family doctors. I went to the ER and did a urine test, blood test, an ultrasound, and another ultrasound. Apparently there is nothing wrong with me. Something about the Whole30 causes me to retain water but I just can't figure it out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arianabanana Posted July 28, 2015 Author Share Posted July 28, 2015 So it's not water retention. Apparently I just got fatter. But I don't understand how that's possible when I followed the template to a T?? Feeling so depressed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators SugarcubeOD Posted July 28, 2015 Moderators Share Posted July 28, 2015 Personally, looking at your list of meals, I'd say you weren't eating nearly enough. It's possible that over 6 months of under-eating, your body has gone into 'store or starve' mode and you're retaining every calorie that you're ingesting. The body releases weight when it's hormonally balanced and safe to do so... if you're chronically undereating, its possible that your body is attempting to save everything you're giving it. You say you followed the template 'to a T' but the template asks for 1-2 palms of protein per meal, 1-3 cups of veg per meal and 1-2 thumbs of fat (not including the pan cooking fat) per meal. Maybe give that a try and really commit to following the template for a bit and see if that helps? Also, is there a chance that you're sensitive to eggs? You said you ate the eggs after a few days without and you felt better without and immediately worse once you ate them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arianabanana Posted July 29, 2015 Author Share Posted July 29, 2015 Never thought it was possible to gain weight eating too little Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldehiker Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 Never thought it was possible to gain weight eating too little Arianabanana I've under ate myself to obesity. I've eaten less than 2000 calories a day for 20 years (give or take a pizza night here and there) And My weight has always climbed. especially after quick loss diets like Atkins and WW.. I'm giving this a try. I started losing with some low carb high fat and someone directed me to whole30. Now I've restored my ability to withstand this hot weather in just 20 days or so. I can't wait to see what happens by the end of the 30 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeanbean Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 I would suggest going to a naturopath. Have them run some tests to see if you are sensitive to any foods. You may be having an allergic reaction to something. Normal MD's are not trained to look for this. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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