Whole30 RD 2 DAY 15: Feeling Terrible

[ilyssamich]

I started my first Whole30 right after New Years last year and was blown away by the results. I suffer from Gastroparesis and over the past year have developed an autoimmune disorder similar to Lupus that causes a lot of aches and pains as well as numbers and coldness in my hands and feet.

 

While I've kept some of Whole30 'habits' I could feel myself loosing what I loved so much about the program and saw my symptoms getting worse. I decided to start Round two right after my birthday at the end of February, excited to get back on the program but realistic about my goals.

 

I read that with Round 2 you have to have your expectations in line with the idea that with Round 1 your results are usually much greater. However, I am on day 15 and my pants are much tighter than they were before I started on day 1, my aches and pains have gotten worse, and I have not seen a difference in my level of fatigue. I am an avid boxing and love taking spin classes and was hoping to be able to see an improvement in my ability to push myself harder at the gym and have not had an increase in my activity level at the gym either.

 

Has anyone else experienced on there second round as well? It is beyond frustrating, more so depressing. Especially that I have not seen a difference with my bloating.

[Carlaccini]

Hi There

 

Sorry to hear that you are struggling.  I am wondering if there might be a certain food that you are over consuming that might be giving you inflammation?  Some hints here:  Eggs, nightshades and nuts are pretty inflammatory.  

 

Also realize that our bodies do change over time.  Not one whole 30 is the same as the one previous.  And I've completed 5 of them.  So yes you may have consumed eggs, nightshades, and nuts over the course of your first whole 30 with no ill effect.  But now you can't - I've seen it happen here before and I have had this happen personally as well.

 

So I encourage you to start first by listing out a few days worth of meals - please include specifics - portions, what type of veggies you are eating (please do not say 'lots of veggies') how often/long you are active for.

[praxisproject]

Also, are you taking any medications?

[ilyssamich]

Thank you for your response!

 

My first Whole30 I was pretty reliant on Eggs, I would say I ate them almost everyday since they are packed with protein and easy to take anywhere. While I will have eggs maybe once or twice a week if that I rarely eat them now as I have gotten pretty sick of them. They are however an ingredient in RX Bars which I do eat quiet often.

 

A typical day of meals for me looks like:

 

Workout at 6am: half of a banana pre-workout since I take my medications before I work out

 

Black Coffee everyday with cinnamon powder- definitely the one thing i cannot give up

 

Post-Work Out: Breakfast at the office around 9:30am

-Either chia seed pudding with cinnamon and raisins

or

-Mixed fruits with Almond Butter: half banana, raisins, unsweet coconut

or RX Bar

 

Lunch

-Salad usually consisting of brussel slaw from TJ's with grilled chicken or tuna with celery paleo mayo and avocado

or

-Salmon cakes with same salad

 

 

Snacks

-usually consist of some of the following:

cashews, almonds, plantain chips with avocado or guac., Apples, dates

 

Dinner

-Aidells Sausage with brussel slaw and broccoli or cauliflower and Franks Red Hot Sauce

or

-TJ's Chicken Lime Burger with sweet potato, lettuce, compliant mustard, olives

 

I do take medications for chronic migraines, two medications for an inflammation disorder, one for fatigue, one for heartburn: which for someone who is young is a lot and most of these are different than what I was on last year.

 

I try to work out about 5 days a week, mixing in Boxing, Boxing Conditioning, Spin and Hot Yoga

[ladyshanny]

A typical day of meals for me looks like:

 

Workout at 6am: half of a banana pre-workout since I take my medications before I work out

 

Black Coffee everyday with cinnamon powder- definitely the one thing i cannot give up

 

Post-Work Out: Breakfast at the office around 9:30am

-Either chia seed pudding with cinnamon and raisins

or

-Mixed fruits with Almond Butter: half banana, raisins, unsweet coconut

or RX Bar

 

Snacks

-usually consist of some of the following:

cashews, almonds, plantain chips with avocado or guac., Apples, dates

 

You would be much better served if you followed the meal template (linked below) that recommends protein, veggies and fats at every meal.  It also recommends protein and fat for a pre-workout meal and lean protein and a starchy veggie for a post workout meal.  These workout meals are in addition to your other regular meals otherwise you are short changing yourself.

 

As for directed recommendations on what you might change to assist with your current issues.  Drop the chia pudding; while the internet says that this is "whole30 approved" it is actually not as it's recreating a sweeter pudding or oatmeal that people are used to eating for their first meal. Also drop the fruit/almond butter for breakfast and remember that any of the bars (RX, Epic, Lara), while compliant, are only so when they are used for emergencies. If you are planning one for breakfast you are definitely out of "emergency" territory.  When we say emergency we mean stranded on an airport runway for 6 hours, stuck in gridlock for 3 hours past your meal time, lost in the woods etc.  

 

Nuts are high in Omega 6 which can be inflammatory when not balanced with Omega 3 as well as being a gut disruptor.  They are also a fat on Whole30 and one that we recommend be limited.  Chia seeds are not the super food you have been told they are; they have a great marketing platform but little actual fact to back up their super-food status.  In fact studies are showing that the gel that forms around the outside of them, along with their high content of anti-nutrients, are likely causing them to promote leaky gut, chronic systemic inflammation and food allergies.  Steer clear of them.

 

The very fact that you are snacking should tell you that you are not eating enough at your meal times.  You should be creating your meals to match the template and those template meals should be keeping you for 4-5 hours. If they are not, notice this and tweak your servings so that you are getting a proper run. If you have a long time between meals (more than 4-5 hours) or you have realized you didn't eat enough at the previous one, it's fine to have something to eat but it should be a mini-meal from the template; comprised of protein, fat and vegetables. If you can't build a balanced mini-meal, make sure it contains at least two of the three macros, preferably protein and fat or protein and veggie.

 

Finally, the fact that you are on these medications and they are a different variety than you were on during your previous Whole30 means that in addition to no Whole30 being the same, your body chemistry is also completely different this time around. Your absolute best step in the direction of balanced and better health is to eat protein, vegetables and fat at every meal as per the template.  Ditch the rest and you'll be better off for it.