Not losing weight!

[shazparks]

I am on day 53 of my Whole30, and I have barely lost any weight. I have been very strict about following the guidelines, and I decided to keep going after the first 30 days. I was hoping that at some point it would start dropping off!

 

Any tips, encouragement, same experiences?

[Erica Gucc]

I am on day 25 and i think i gained weight. Oh well. I am also looking for tips on how to lose weight with whole30. I was skinny to start but happy with my weight. I do NOt want to gain 20 lbs

[SugarcubeOD]

I am on day 53 of my Whole30, and I have barely lost any weight. I have been very strict about following the guidelines, and I decided to keep going after the first 30 days. I was hoping that at some point it would start dropping off!

 

Any tips, encouragement, same experiences?

Can you post a few days of your typical consumption including portion sizes and water intake? We can see if anything stands out.

Is it possible that you do not need to lose weight? I mean, I realize that most women in our society WANT to lose weight but a lot of those 'last 10 pounds' aren't pounds that your body wants to lose.

Aside from weight, what other improvements have you seen in the last 53 days? Do you come from a history of calorie restriction, Auto immune condition or other medical conditions that you body could have been prioritizing healing prior to dropping excess weight?

[Brewer5]

Erica, I'm sorry but at 96 pounds, you needed to gain weight. How tall are you?

[shazparks]

Hello!

 

For breakfast I usually have 2-3 eggs cooked in coconut oil and topped with salsa (ingredients are only veg).  

 

I cook dinner at home using beef, turkey, or chicken. There are always plenty of vegetables to go along. I cook with ghee, coco oil, or olive oil.   For example tonight we are having chicken, sauteed spinach and kale, and mashed cauliflower (like mashed potato), which will have coconut milk in it.

 

At lunchtime, I eat leftovers from the previous night's dinner. The only things I drink are tea, coffee, and water (no sweetner, but with lemon). Sometimes I add 1/2 avocado or eat fruit afterward.

 

For snacks, I usually eat nuts and fruit. I eat fruit often, but it is usually with some kind of protein (almond butter & apples, etc).

 

And as for weight, I definitely need to lose about 25 lbs. Not just saying that--I would like to lose more like 50! Ha ha...

 

I feel like there is something that I am doing wrong, but don't know what. We do eat white potatoes occasionally. Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated! 

[Brewer5]

One thing that stands out to me is that almond butter is not a protein. Nuts and seeds do not contain all of the essential amino acids to make a complete protein, therefore -- for the purposes of a Whole 30, especially -- they are a FAT.

If you NEED to snack for some reason, it should be a mini-meal of protein + veggie + fat.

[Erica Gucc]

Erica, I'm sorry but at 96 pounds, you needed to gain weight. How tall are you?

4'11 I'm a little on the shorter side. I used to weigh 120 lbs in hs and have huge body image issues due to that. I lost weight in college and was averaging 110. Then when the disease gets bad I go down at 95 ish. I always tell myself I would be happy to be 110 lbs as long as I'm healthy but the vanity in me still wants to be 96 lbs and also healthy and eating like I do now.

[Carlaccini]

Hi Shaz!

 

I'm just going to make some random thoughts here:

 

Make sure your meals fill you for 4 - 5 hours.  Snacking although not prohibited, it's not encouraged either.  But as Brewer mentions above - snacks should consist of ideally: protein, veg, and fat. 

 

There doesn't seem to be a lot of veg or fat going on in meal 1 aka Breakfast.  Keep in mind that the fat in the pan that we cook with is generally left in the pan - unless of course you make it a point of scraping it onto your plate.  And Unless you are consuming a cup of salsa - it doesn't really amount to much veg at all.

 

I know people go super low carb in order for us to lose weight.  And some of us - don't react well to going super low carb.  And rather than shedding pounds like we hoped - we either gain or don't lose anything.  So don't be scared of starchy vegetables.  Try to aim for 1 starchy vegetable a day.

 

Nuts and fruit (especially dried fruit) is famous for causing gut distress, and constipation.  So I would avoid the nuts for the next little while and see if that helps.

 

It concerns me when you say you eat fruit often - recommended portions for fruit is 1 - 2 fist sized portions a day.

[Erica Gucc]

Shaz, your eating habits sound a lot like mine. I really wonder how people lose weight on whole30? Maybe we are doing something wrong by snacking

[Brewer5]

Shaz, your eating habits sound a lot like mine. I really wonder how people lose weight on whole30? Maybe we are doing something wrong by snacking

Erica, I lost a few pounds on all 3 of my Whole 30's and *I really wasn't trying to*. This has not been about weight loss for me.

My digestion has never done well with a lot of fruit, so I have NEVER eaten a lot of it. When my digestion problems began and I learned about candida, I learned that the bad bacteria feed on sugar -- and YES, that includes fruit sugar.

My first Whole 30, white potatoes were not allowed yet. I relied on homemade sunflower butter & carrots at night to feed my dragon -- although I never would have admitted that at the time.

My second Whole 30, potatoes were allowed and I had one almost every single night with my dinner. Nuts & seeds were out, because I did not want to rely on them again.

My third Whole 30, I was aiming for keto, so there was no fruit & no starchy vegetables. Lots of fat.

So these were all a little different, and I learned new things each time. What I did NOT do is snack on a regular basis. When they say you should be able to go 4-5 hours between meals, I took that to heart and I made it a goal.

Now, your situation is unique in the fact that you deal with a lot of pain & bathroom issues. No one else can tell you how much to eat in one sitting or how many times to eat in a day. What we CAN tell you is that you are not doing yourself any favors by continuing to snack on ANYTHING that does not fit "protein + veggie + fat".

[shazparks]

Thanks everyone for the info.

 

So, I guess I should try to round out my meals a little more, correct?

 

And as far as snacking--In order to reduce, should I increase my meal size?  What about eating smaller meals more regularly? I do not have any medical issues except hypoglycemia. I think I have a hard time determining if I am hungry or if it is low blood sugar. 

 

I have to admit that the #1 reason I started this was for the weight loss. Anything else was just going to be taken as an additional benefit. I had a couple of days of "mind fog" when I started, but that cleared. I have to say that I haven't had any of the amazing feelings or energy bursts either.

 

I probably would have quit by now except for the fact that my sister has been doing this since July (she has since gone to more of a Paleo diet) and has lost a significant amount of weight.

 

THANKS!

[Brewer5]

Yes, your meals should be big enough & properly formulated to keep you from needing to snack. Upping the protein & fat, lowering the intake of fruit & nut butters, will do wonders for keeping your blood sugar s-t-e-a-d-y throughout the day.

[Kimberly22]

Hello!  I am on day 10 and at first I had a difficult time grasping the concept of no snacking.  I've been following the meal template and trying to trust and have faith.  This morning, I was not able to finish what I had prepared and was not hungry for 4.5 hours.  I am not doing Whole30 for weight loss as I have an autoimmune disease and am trying to figure out foods that may aggravate it.  I am not weighing myself but I can tell by my clothes are getting loser.  The hardest part for me an Whole30 has been to trust the process.

[Tom Denham]

Thanks everyone for the info.

 

So, I guess I should try to round out my meals a little more, correct?

 

And as far as snacking--In order to reduce, should I increase my meal size?  What about eating smaller meals more regularly? I do not have any medical issues except hypoglycemia. I think I have a hard time determining if I am hungry or if it is low blood sugar. 

 

I have to admit that the #1 reason I started this was for the weight loss. Anything else was just going to be taken as an additional benefit. I had a couple of days of "mind fog" when I started, but that cleared. I have to say that I haven't had any of the amazing feelings or energy bursts either.

 

I probably would have quit by now except for the fact that my sister has been doing this since July (she has since gone to more of a Paleo diet) and has lost a significant amount of weight.

 

THANKS!

 

My impression is that you are not eating enough. My impression is based upon two things from the limited info you gave earlier - 2-3 eggs for breakfast and snacking on nuts, fruit, and nut butters. That is the profile of someone eating meals that are way too small. 

 

You would think that eating too little would force weight loss, but it doesn't. Instead it sends a signal to your hormones to slow your metabolism and hold onto fat. Eating to the level we recommend with our meal planning template, however, inspires your hormones to support weight loss. 

 

Also, you seriously need to eliminate nuts, nut butters, and anything more than 1 or 2 pieces of fruit per day. You need to be composing your plates from more nutritious foods. 

[Erica Gucc]

Brewer your insight is appreciated. I will try to find some way to go without needing to snack. Would it be OK to have snacks/treats with your meal? I'm just wondering because I am planning on continuing to try to follow whole30 90% until I can do another one

[JulieP757]

Shazparks - are you exercising at all?  I have done a few rounds of WF30 and I don't lose unless I am doing some form of exercise several times a week.  I also have to watch the amount of fruit I eat and limit nuts and I don't snack between meals.

[Brewer5]

Brewer your insight is appreciated. I will try to find some way to go without needing to snack. Would it be OK to have snacks/treats with your meal? I'm just wondering because I am planning on continuing to try to follow whole30 90% until I can do another one

Erica, IF you are going to have fruit & nuts, butters, etc -- it is ALWAYS supposed to be *with* a meal. After your Whole 30, have it at the end of your meal & call it whatever you choose -- but I cannot stress enough how much better you will feel overall if you stick to protein+veggie+fat FIRST.

What you are going through now with the bingeing & related embarrassment, the uncontrollable urge to snack -- it is because you are not following this rule. If you were, your cravings would not be this way. Fact.

[Erica Gucc]

But I follow the template and am not snacking because of hunger. I snack because I like snacks. I have no problem filling up on big portions of healthy food. I cook big portions !! Am extremely satisfied after dinner and between breakfast and lunch (right before dinner is where I get hungry) sometimes I try to have a mini meal and I'll eat what I can and try to get protien carb and fat. But I haven't found a really good source of snack veggies. so that's hard. But I find that as I'm finishing the meal I am thinking wow I am so full and satisfied but I want something sweet, fruity, or chocolatey now.

[SugarcubeOD]

I actually hazard to get involved at this point but Erica, the fact you want something sweet, chocolatey or whatever after your dinner is a CRAVING. In order to get the most out of a Whole30 and continue on with this lifestyle, the recommendation is to follow the recommendations. Seeing you consistently try and get around the rules (egg banana pancakes, swypo foods, jello and now snacking) is frustrating to say the least. You've been given a WEALTH of excellent information and your goal seems to be to try and get someone to approve these bends of the rules.

If you want to snack because you want to snack, then go ahead. Snacking for the sake of snacking does nothing for your relationship with food. If you want to eat Jello and Banana egg pancakes and gluten free muffins after your Whole30, there's nothing we can say to stop you but I remind you that you came here with a serious medical condition and to be honest, if I had as much pain and discomfort as you say you have, I would be following the recommendations to a sharp point. Others have given you anecdotal evidence that the recommendations work. What doesn't work is taking the recommendations and then bending them to suit yourself... sorry.

[reneeruecks]

It's so hard to wrap your head around no snacks bc I feel like the past 10 years of my life everyone said if you want to lose weight you should have 5-6 meals a day and eat every 2-3 hours to keep your metabolism going. After the whole 30 is it best to stick to 3 meals?

[Erica Gucc]

Alright, you make fair points (but I think you're being a little mean about it)

All in all I believe that swypo goods and snacking is responsible with a lot of health problems. But I have no reason to believe that snacking is harmful to me. The fact that I've probably gained weight is because I've eaten so much without feeling so bad. Seriously! I am sort of being tounge in cheek about the weight loss/gain bit. When you feel better, you also care about how you look more. Like I totally think that gaining a few lbs is a g o o d tbing. I don't know how much I've gained or how I gained it but I'm guessing it's due to the fruit/snacking and I know it upsets/hurts you that I haven't gotten into the spirit of whole30. But I just am not stressing about it. If I stressed or put myself too hard down I could trigger Crohns or bipolar. The snacking makes me happy and I'll continue to do it unless I gain too much weight. Then I'll stop it. But I was eating all the time and not gaining any weight. I was losing. That was bad. I sought advice on how to not lose and got advice to eat . so I ate whenever I wanted to eat. Good or bad... I don't know. All I know is that my micronutrient levels were extremely low and I feel like they'd be a lot better now.

[shazparks]

Okay, thanks everyone for all of the suggestions!

 

I am going to make sure that all meals are a good balance with fat+protein+veg, and I am going to eat more at these times in hopes that I won't be hungry for a while.

 

No more fruit/nut snacks for me. However, if I want fruit, I can eat it right after a meal, but only on occasion, correct? Although I was only eating 1-2 servings a day, I think it became a go-to since it was easy and tasty. I am getting tired of cooking & cleaning!  What do I do if I do find myself hungry before mealtime? Keep an additional stash of leftovers? Larabar?

 

I feel like I have worked hard so far & made a lot of changes to my diet. I am definitely open to any suggestions from people who are seeing the benefits. I will do what it takes (including more exercise) to achieve the amazing payoffs that I was looking for! Making additional changes here and there should not be a problem.  I definitely want to do better, and am open to tweaking my program here and there!

 

 

Any other suggestions are appreciated! 

[Brewer5]

However, if I want fruit, I can eat it right after a meal, but only on occasion, correct? Although I was only eating 1-2 servings a day

 

What do I do if I do find myself hungry before mealtime? Keep an additional stash of leftovers? Larabar?

 

(including more exercise)

 

Any other suggestions are appreciated! 

 

1)  Yes

 

2)  Larabars - no!  Leftovers, yes.  Hard-boiled egg, baby carrots, olives (something that looks like this mini-meal) -- yes.  

 

3)  I don't remember if you talked about exercise.  Are you at least walking?

 

4)  In case you have not seen the meal template.  Here it is.  Print & follow for great success:

 

http://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-meal-planning.pdf

[jmcbn]

It's so hard to wrap your head around no snacks bc I feel like the past 10 years of my life everyone said if you want to lose weight you should have 5-6 meals a day and eat every 2-3 hours to keep your metabolism going. After the whole 30 is it best to stick to 3 meals?

This recommendation is based on trying to keep blood sugar levels stable, which, if you are eating in a Whole30 way will not be an issue becasue your blood sugar levels WILL be stable - because you are not eating any foods that would provoke a spike followed by a crash.

If you continue to eat Whole30 foods post Whole30 then it would be absolutely fine (invariably better in fact that going back to processed foods & dealing with sugar highs & lows) to continue eating three meals a day. 

[shazparks]

Thanks Brewer5!

 

I've been doing well following everyone's recommendations over the past few days. Cutting out snacking has not been as difficult as I thought it was going to be! My new question is about drinking.

 

The only things I drink are coffee (mostly decaf, 1 full-caff cup at most per day), water, and iced tea with lemon.

 

Are there any issues with when to drink these? I remember something about eating with food dilutes the stomach acids that aid digestion. Also, this sometimes helps me feel full. Is this going to affect my hormone balance?

 

THANKS!