Day 30 and no change

[Lisabutler]

To give you a little bit of my background, I've had stomach issues for as long as I can remember (around 8 years old).  As I got older I started to take my food/health into my own hands.  I had chronic constipation, seasonal allergies, asthma, diarrhea, and terrible stomach pains but more in my intestinal region. I was sick of doctors giving me pills and medicine to mast my symptoms. At thirteen years old I was diagnosed with hashimotos disease (still taking a low level of synthroid). I saw a natural doctor and that helped for a little while and eventually a friend of mine at work (osteopathic doctor) had me do a blood test that tested for 300 of the most common foods, chemicals and food additives. This was about four years ago and I've been gluten and diary free since as the test showed I had sensitivites.  So I pretty much have been eating whole30-ish for the past four years.  I've seen a lot of NSV- my rosey cheeks went away, dark circles, bloating, asthma is only triggered by exercises in the cold now, no more seasonal allergies, regularish BM's, and less stomach pain etc.  

I recently stumbled upon Whole30 as I was looking for something to help me with meal size/proportions and timing of meals.  I'm on day30 and I'm a little frustrated.  I am not looking for a miracle- thinking i'm going to look like Melissa in 30 days, but I have gained weight ( I am OK with) and an inch around my waist.  

 

Before I go any further I have had a lot of NSV: waking up with my alarm at the crack of dawn, needing only 8 hours of sleep to get me through the day, more consistent energy, in the gym more times a week, recovering from workouts faster, more confidence in my body, less hair falling out, better relationship with food, not wanting to have "treats", OK with the number on the scale (would have flipped out prior to this if I saw I gained weight), lifting heavier in the gym! -So overall I'm very happy but not liking that my waist is bigger, I was hoping this program would help me look a little more toned and i'm feeling puffy.  My pants are tighter for sure. 

 

I crossfit 4-5 times a week.  Typically three days of weight lifting and one to two wods a week.

 

Pre-whole 30- 112.5 Waist-25

post whole 30- 117.8 Waist-26

 

All other measurements remained the same 

 

Typical meals look like this:

5:30 pre wod - 1/4-1/2 palm size chicken thigh with a few olives

7:00 post wod- palm size chicken thigh and if I do a WOD a small sweet potato 

 

8:00-8:30- palm and 1/4 ground beef with sweet potato and a little more than a cup of roasted veggies (cauliflower, brussel sprouts or asparagus)- with beef tallow 1-2 thumbs

 

1:30ish- chicken thigh seasoned with celery salt/rosemary salt and  little more than a cup of roasted veggies (cauliflower, brussel sprouts or asparagus)- with beef tallow 1-2 thumbs

 

8:30-9:00 Chicken/beef or salmon- seasoned with garlic and a little salt and little more than a cup of roasted veggies (cauliflower, brussel sprouts or asparagus)- with beef tallow 1-2 thumbs

 

are my meals too big? they look much bigger than social media posts of Whole30 meals

 

I do have a lot of food allergies and I am following the Whole30 AIP because I know a lot of nightshades irritate me and I cannot tolerate avacado, coconut and I have an egg allergy.  

I am not board at all with eating the same meals, and do mix it up once in a while.  The only change from how I was eating before was the amount of fat added to my meals and the same proportions at eat meal.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice! I'm feeling frustrated but want to continue, I understand that NSV are important but I don't want to continue gaining inches/weight if I'm just getting fat.

 

 

 

[jmcbn]

For somebody who does CF 4-5 times a week I think your meals look light....

Pre & PostWO look fine, but you  need more protein & certainly more veg, possibly more fat. Unless your chickens are huge a thigh is tiny - I eat 3 when I eat thighs, and I eat two large serving spoons of ground beef... Veg, the recommendation is for 1-3 cups - 3 is optimum.

Remember that the recommendations are minimums  and it's actually okay to eat more. I'd always tell anyone who's particularly active to eat to the high end of the template.

 

If you under eat when training that often your body will have a tendency to slow down to conserve energy supplies....

I've been eating this way a lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnng time and I've yet to see photos of meals on social media that are anywhere close to what I eat - although they do look pretty 

[Lisabutler]

Thanks for the advice. I will try to up my protein and veggies. It seems like a crazy amount of food but I'll give it a try!  The chicken thighs are boneless skinless thighs, so they are bigger then just the drum.  Do you think I should still be eating more?

[Carlaccini]

I actually feel kind of bad mentioning this too you - but part of your post mentions gaining and inch - and while I would like you to focus more on healing yourself you might find that your choice of veggies might be contributing some bloating.  

 

There are veggies called FODMAPs which if you overload your system with them - that your body will have a hard time breaking down.  If you want a more detailed list of FODMAP's read this article here:  http://www.thepaleomom.com/2012/08/modifying-paleo-for-fodmap-intolerance.html

 

I know from experience that being both AIP and low FODMAP feels super challenging.  It will seem that the only safe veggies you can eat is lettuce, zucchini, and cucumber. (There is more variety than that honestly - but it just seems like that at times)  

 

Thanks for the advice. I will try to up my protein and veggies. It seems like a crazy amount of food but I'll give it a try!  The chicken thighs are boneless skinless thighs, so they are bigger then just the drum.  Do you think I should still be eating more?

 

Yes.  Definitely.  Since you are active you probably need to eat 1.5 to 2 palm sized (length, width, and height of your palm) portions of protein with each meal.  I doubt that 1 boneless, skinless chicken thigh even equals to one palm - unless of course you have some ridiculously small hands 

 

Just for reference I am a large framed, stocky and tallish (5'9" / 175cm) woman. My palm is roughly 4"x 5" x 2" - and since I am not as active as you are I eat on the lower end of the template most days (I have a desk job) a minimum of 3 skinless boneless chicken thighs.  If I happen to be super active during the day - I will eat more.

[Lisabutler]

I've eliminated FODMAPs in the past and cauliflower doesn't seem to bother me but I will try some time without it. Asparagus I can go without. I have allergies/intolerances to a lot of vegetables so it's even more restrictive doing FoDmap and AIP. I'm also thinking the sweet potato might be causing some of the bloating.

I do have very small hands but not too much smaller than yours. I guess I need to up my protein intake significantly.

[Lisabutler]

I'm having a hard time with the idea of eating twice the amount I'm eating already at each meal. It seems like way too much food. Can anyone make sense of this for me.

[SugarcubeOD]

Is this a psychological concern that it 'seems' like too much food or a 'I can't fit more food in my belly' concern? Because when I look at your lunch for instance, eating twice what you've listed is still not very much food...

 

There's a chance that your hormones are still figuring things out and if you came from a place of restriction, your metabolism slows right down to compensate for not enough fuel and it can take some time to ramp it back up... the only way to do that is to eat appropriate portions of food.. if you can eat it all, take it with you and eat from it again as soon as you're able (don't wait to feel hungry).

[Lisabutler]

It was more of a -I don't think it will fit in my belly but just had a huge meal- over 3 cups of lettuce, two boneless skinless chicken thighs (fairly large), a whole ca of olives and olive oil for dressing. Does this sound like a more appropriately sized meal. I ate it all in one sitting

[SugarcubeOD]

That does sound better but really, salad greens are not awesome bang for your buck... 3 cups of leaves isn't going to last very long.. think about what happens if you wilt or steam salad greens... good job on the protein and fat... try some heartier veggies either in your salad or to replace your salad and you're golden!