period 10 days early and I feel like quitting

[reneeruecks]

I am on day 16 and today I am just so defeated. Last week I was feeling great, totally over my sugar cravings and was starting to feel really good. My period came 10 days early on sunday and it has just really ruined how I feel. I still weigh 206 after doing this for 16 days, what is the point. my whole purpose of doing this was for weightless, now I probably will barely see any since I'm having double periods. I also wonder if my period coming early is bc of the whole30.  This is my 3rd time doing it and it has never happened before.  I am just so frustrated and don't see the point. 

[jmcbn]

53 minutes ago, reneeruecks said:

my whole purpose of doing this was for weightless,

I'm sorry, but if this is the case then you're doing this for the wrong reasons.

Whole30 is not a weight-loss plan. It's a learning tool - an elimination diet created to remove the inflammatory foods from our system, allowing our body to heal before reintroducing those foods so that we can determine what foods we should & shouldn't eat for our long term health. Some see weight-loss as a side effect of eating this way. Many don't. Many more see improved health, and for the majority that is the primary goal.

Following the recommended meal template, and eating whole foods (the first meal within an hour of wakening) in this way will actually help regulate your hormones, but if you've had any underlying medical issues it may well be that things are only starting to get themselves on an even keel for you now - hence the early period - A change in cycle such as this is not uncommon in these circumstances.

Other than that stressing about weight really is counter productive. It keeps cortisol levels raised, which in turn keeps the weight on as the body goes in to fight or flight mode. On top of this those who focus only on weight-loss tend to try & hack the process, limiting food intake, thereby slowing the metabolism further.

If you do want to continue please focus on the non scale victories - is your sleep better? Is your mood improved? Do you have steady energy throughout the day? Are your nails stronger? Your hair thicker? Have any aches & pains subsided? Digestive issues eased? If you can answer yes to any of these questions then you're on the right track - the track to improved health, and you may just find that the weight-loss will follow.

If the answer to all of these questions is no, then perhaps your meals need a little tweaking, and we'd be more than happy to help with that.

 

[tinman57]

I bet you ARE frustrated with a double dose of hormones raging through your body like salmon in spawning season.  Hang in there.  As @jmcbnalready said, weight loss isn't actually the goal of the program so much as sometimes a side benefit.  I mean, I did a Whole30 and lost maybe a pound or three in 30 days.  The benefits I got were significant otherwise though.  They differ for everyone because, hey, we're all different.

Have some chamomile tea and curl up if you can with a good book and focus on something else.  Outside of what we eat, there's a bazillion other things to focus on.

[reneeruecks]

weightloss is a huge issue for me bc I am on the road to becoming pre diabetic and that will not change unless my weight goes down. So yes that is my major goal, I was feeling great until my double period, which has never happened in my life I might add.  I can feel as great as I want but If my weight doesn't go down then I am not healthy, so nsv are really not my top priority. Bc of the diest restrictions in this plan my nutritionist suggested this was the best way to go for me, for my health and weight. I really get so annoyed when ppl make  remarks like jmcbn.  I'm also so frustrated with my body right now. I do not tamper with my meals, I eat until I'm full and I'm not counting calories or weighing foods and I'm eating my fats. I am fully committed to this program and bc weight loss is my goal I shouldn't do it?  There is no way a person cannot loose weight by cutting out alcohol, sugar, bread, grains and dairy so I wish they would stop avoiding and embracing that ppl loose weight on this program!  loosing weight is more than a side effect for me. I look at is as life or death. 

[ladyshanny]

To quote our moderator, @Tom Denham, you must get the buy-in of your hormones before healthy weight loss occurrs. The fact that you are having menstrual fluctuations right now means that there is absolutely no doubt that your hormones are not balanced. 

Often overweight people are pre-diabetic because they are eating foods that mess with  hormones. Insulin is a hormone that is wildly affected by foods that are prevalent in the standard diet. Those same foods cause you to gain weight. The mere fact that you are close to pre-diabetic also means that you may have enough of an underlying foundation with your health that 16 days isn't going to give you any wild results. If you have dieted or restricted or binge/purged or just binged in your life, especially if it was a consistent pattern, your body is going to have a hard time trusting you and it will take time. More than 2 weeks. ALSO if you have historically not eaten particularly nutrient dense, whole foods, your body is going to go through a "refeeding" period where it is soaking up every bit that you are giving it. That could result in either a temporary gain (don't panic!) or stagnation in loss.

Finally, I'm so sorry you're so worried about this. That is rough. Please know that eating protein, veggies and healthy fats is not going to push you any further down the diabetic road. It's just not. So if absolutely nothing happens, you are going to freeze that progression while you are doing Whole30 or eating in a Whole30 style/manner.  Which means that you have time. Time to allow your body to understand what you're doing. Time to allow your body and mind to come together for your own personal well being. Time for you to settle in and know that weight loss, while good, is not the end-all. It's really not. You can be a healthy human with extra weight on your body. Pre-diabetes is not related to how much you weigh.............it's related to what you were eating that got you to how much you weigh. Correlation, not causation.

Please be kind to yourself. Be patient. Know that by eating in Whole30 fashion you are doing the very best you can for your body. Undoing years of less than healthy behaviours. Allowing your body to use what you are giving it to heal itself. Whether you are aware of it or not, if you are pre-diabetic, chances are you have other underlying health issues and your body will always prioritize internal healing over weight loss.

You are a wonderful, dynamic, varied, complex and beautiful human. You are about more than what you weigh. 

[ValGarcia]

This is really interesting. I began my W30 about 2 weeks ago, and began spotting a few days after I started, with my period starting a couple of days earlier than usual. I have never spotted and my periods are like clockwork as I am taking birth control. However, the flow has been really heavy this month.  From what I have read, the timing seems pretty typical for many women. Any ideas on what could be causing the heavier flow?

 I have been gluten free for basically my entire life. I have Celiac and was diagnosed when I was two. However, in recent months, my stomach has begun having some issues and by that, I mean gas that can clear out a whole room. My poor husband is so sweet though. After a few months and a week long vacation, which I knew I would stuff my face with gluten free goodness on, I knew my system needed a cleanse. I am 22 years old and weigh about 208 lbs (as of about 2 wks ago when I began). I have also suffered with depression and mood swings for about a year and a half. I currently take an antidepressant, which has helped. However, since beginning my W30, I have noticed a decrease in my mood swings. In addition, I feel like I have more energy. I dont know if I am losing weight, but that is not the point here. Overall, I feel better. When I think about it, my fingernails seem a lot stronger too! 

Point is, while losing weight would be a really great outcome, I know that I am feeling better, which makes my hard work worth it. I'm curious to see what the introduction phase will hold for me in a few weeks. I may choose to do this again until I know for sure what causes my crazy mood swings and digestive problems. I hope you will keep on with the W30. I know that it is hard (trust me! My husband is a chef and we really like to eat)! Keep going, press on. Who knows, maybe your blood sugar numbers will be better regardless of how much weight you lose!  

[Jen800V]

I'm so glad you posted this.  I am doing this with my husband and we should be on Day 6, but he totally blanked on Tuesday and had a drink with a friend he hadn't seen in forever, so we are on Day 4.  I was totally surprised to start my period this morning - 20 day cycle. I am 48, so this is not unheard of for me, but it's usually 23 - 26 day cycle. So no idea if it's related, but it was not welcome.  I hope you are feeling better!  It's the first time I've done the Whole30, but reading the book it sounds like most change happens day 15 on.  You also really can't believe what the scale says right now because you're probably retaining water.  I do agree with the person above me - Be kind to yourself. And here's something funny (or horrible depending on your sense of humor!) my 15-year-old daughter showed me on some feed she looks at.

I am so sick of numbers defining me.

My weight

My GPA

My number of first-degree murder convictions

My credit score

My IQ

These numbers don't define me.

 

 

 

 

 

[SugarcubeOD]

38 minutes ago, Jen800V said:

 

My number of first-degree murder convictions

These numbers don't define me

LOL!!!

[tinman57]

On 10/22/2016 at 8:11 PM, Jen800V said:

I am so sick of numbers defining me.

These numbers don't define me.

 

 

 

 

 

Man, do I ever agree.  I'm so tired of being charted, charting myself, counting steps, weighing in, adding calories, calculating points . . . I mean, is this really what life has come to?