1/2 and nada...help?

[hcline]

Hi there!

 

I'm about 1/2 through my first Whole30 and I'm not seeing/feeling anything.  My mood/energy/health has been the same (no "hangover phase," no grouchy phase, no tiger blood phase). I was unable to weigh myself at the beginning of my Whole30 (I just moved to Colorado from Singapore and my scale was in my shipment, which just arrived).  Anyway, I weighed myself today and I was shocked and saddened to see that I weighed the exact same as I did in mid-July when I weighed myself at my parents' house before heading to Colorado.  Like, literally, to the pound.  I just don't know what's going on?!?

 

As I mentioned, I moved to Colorado from Singapore and have embraced a much healthier lifestyle--CrossFit 3-4 times/week, yoga 2-3 times/week, long dog walks, and weekend hikes.  I'm also a teacher and I coach volleyball so I do that 3-4 days/week, too.  I've been tracking every meal/snack/beverage since starting the Whole30 and I just don't see where I'm going wrong.  I've also been eating more protein than normal (I was all about the noodle bowls in Singapore) and working in healthy snacks (hardboiled egg, apple w/ almond butter, or celery w/ a slice of turkey) and haven't eaten/drank anything off plan since starting.  

 

Breakfast is typically:

1/2 sweet potato, spinach, poached egg on top

Snack:

hardboiled egg or apple w/ almond butter or celery w/ a slice of turkey (deli roasted w/ no additives)

Lunch:

leftovers from dinner

Dinner:

everything has been from Nom Noms Whole30 Blog or "It Starts with Food" or "The Whole 30" or "Well Fed"...typically: greens/veggies of some sort, meat (buffalo, turkey, chicken, or fish).  OR: a big salad w/ protein (tuna, hardboiled egg).  OR: zoodles with marinara sauce (w/ either buffalo or turkey)

Drinks:

water, tea (herbal), coffee (on weekends only--black), or 1 GT Kombucha/day

 

 

Help!?!  Suggestions!?!

 

Thanks,

 

Heather

[jmcbn]

First off I'd remind you that this is a 30 day program, not 15 and many folk don't start seing the magic until the final stages.

 

Secondly I'd say that weight loss is not linear on a Whole30 and many feel they gain before they lose. I'd also comment that if you've added in a lot of exercise you could well have traded up fat for lean muscle, so your weight may not have changed, but your body composition has - are your clothes fitting any differently/better?

Thirdly I'd say that you're not eating enough, and the fact you are need to snack kind of confirms this.

The idea is to eat three meals a day, the first within an hour of wakening, and each of which keeps you satiated for 4-5hrs. If you work out you should at the very least be eating a postWO as well as those three meals.

 

When eggs are your only source of protein in a meal you should be eating as many whole eggs as you can hold in one hand, which is 3-4 for most females. It's hard to tell portion  sizes from your other meals, but given that your breakfast is most certainly falling short I'm guessing that your other meals are too. I see no mention of added fat at any of your meals  - you'll need fat for brain health & for energy. The meal template recommends 1-2 palm sized pieces of protein (that's the length, width & depth of your palm), 1-3 cups of veggies with 3 being optimum, and 1-2 thumb sized pieces of fat (or a handful of olives, a big dollop of mayo, some compliant bacon etc etc etc) Fat is your friend.

Fruit should be eaten with, or as part of a meal, not on it's own as a snack as it plays havoc with blood sugars & hunger signals.

The recommendation for preWO would be a lean protein & some fat (say a hard boiled egg, or some chicken & mayo maybe), and for post WO is a lean protein and optional starchy carb (the favourite being roast chicken & sweet potato). No fruit before or after training, & no fat after as it slows down the absorption of nutrients at a time when your body really needs them.

Hope this helps.

[Tom Denham]

Sometimes it helps to understand that the Whole30 works by getting your hormones into their best rhythm. That is why we emphasize eating within an hour of waking in the morning and eating "generously" of protein, fat, and veggies. When people delay breakfast, eat too little fat, and eat too light in general, it interferes with hormones getting into a good rhythm and that interferes with losing fat. Even when you do everything perfectly the necessary hormonal shifts often take several weeks to develop. 

[ultrarunnergirl]

You are not eating enough.

 

Your Meal 1 is very low on protein. And if you are doing all this exercise you need to be eating pre and/or post-workout meals as well. See the Meal Template for details.

 

Bigger meals and no snacking will help. Read the chapter on Hormones in It Starts With Food or do some googling about glucagon and its function for a deeper understanding.