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Where's the Tiger Blood?


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I'm on my first Whole30, Day 15 (with husband). While I've definitely felt benefits, I'm sort of over it at this point, and wondering if I'm going to be able to muster the motivation to make it the last half. I'm tired, over all the meal prep and would kill for a bit of brie and glass of wine. Sort of hoping to feel the Tiger Blood at this point, but not feeling it.

Is this normal? 

Thanks in advance, Julie

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I didn't exactly get Tiger Blood - I'm on day 29 and my energy is much more sustained but not what I'd call tiger blood by any means. I have some chronic health issues so I'm not really surprised by it personally, AND I think I'll notice a dramatic decrease in my energy if I add all the foods back in - the quickest way to see what's working for you is to stop doing it and see what happens. I have a feeling I'll know my energy was better even if I'm not wholly conscious of it now. 

Also, sometimes it just takes some people longer than others. Hang in there.

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Also, if you check out the timeline (http://whole30.com/2013/08/revised-timeline/), there's this quote:

Of course, this may not happen like magic at the halfway point. There are a huge number of factors that influence which benefits you see and when. If you’re one of those folks who has hit the halfway mark and isn’t seeing or feeling the dramatic changes others have reported*, know this: You’re not doing it wrong. If you began the Whole30 with a medical condition, a long and rooted history of unhealthy food habits, or a chronically stressful lifestyle, your “magic” may take longer to appear, and probably won’t be a “light switch” moment. Don’t stress about whether you’re feeling honest-to-goodness “Tiger Blood”—be patient, and be on the lookout for small, gradual improvements to keep you motivated. Slow and steady still wins this race.

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1 hour ago, RandiW said:

I didn't exactly get Tiger Blood - I'm on day 29 and my energy is much more sustained but not what I'd call tiger blood by any means. I have some chronic health issues so I'm not really surprised by it personally, AND I think I'll notice a dramatic decrease in my energy if I add all the foods back in - the quickest way to see what's working for you is to stop doing it and see what happens. I have a feeling I'll know my energy was better even if I'm not wholly conscious of it now. 

Also, sometimes it just takes some people longer than others. Hang in there.

Excellent points, RandiW. My diet wasn't in terrible shape prior to Whole30--and I eliminated a lot of sugar prior to doing the Whole30, which is when I really noticed a difference in energy level. 

I think i've just hit some sort of mid-point slump, blah's, etc. 

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I'm on day 30 and never felt tiger blood. Like a previous post said, I'm sure if I added back in non-compliant foods I would feel the negative impact, but I haven't felt the "magic" like others may have. Like you mentioned, my diet was also pretty compliant prior to starting whole30 and I have wondered for a long time about additional medical issues (hormones, thyroid issues). I do see more sustained energy throughout the day, but at this point I am still needing a small nap every other day. 

I am planning on doing another 15-30 days to see if there's any more of a difference. 

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6 hours ago, Heatherebekah said:

but at this point I am still needing a small nap every other day. 

This would not be considered normal at day 30.

Do you have any pre-existing medical conditions? I'd definitely get your thyroid checked out, along with your vitamin D levels, but in the meantime if you want anyone to take a look at your food to see if you could make any tweaks going forward please feel free to post a few days worth of your intake, along with activity levels, water intake, sleep & stress levels...

@Julie McD- With regard to Tiger Blood day 15 is probably a little early to be experiencing it (and different people experience it in different ways - there is no hard & fast rule as to *what* Tiger Blood really is) - and the composition of your meals (even when compliant) can play a HUGE role, so again if you'd like us to look at your meals to check you're on the right track please feel free to list 3-4 days worth here.

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2 hours ago, jmcbn said:

This would not be considered normal at day 30.

Do you have any pre-existing medical conditions? I'd definitely get your thyroid checked out, along with your vitamin D levels, but in the meantime if you want anyone to take a look at your food to see if you could make any tweaks going forward please feel free to post a few days worth of your intake, along with activity levels, water intake, sleep & stress levels...

@Julie McD- With regard to Tiger Blood day 15 is probably a little early to be experiencing it (and different people experience it in different ways - there is no hard & fast rule as to *what* Tiger Blood really is) - and the composition of your meals (even when compliant) can play a HUGE role, so again if you'd like us to look at your meals to check you're on the right track please feel free to list 3-4 days worth here.

Thanks, this helps very much. I'm feeling better this morning, actually--much more energy. 

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Lots of people think they haven't had tiger blood -- but the reality is that the name is misleading. This article has a little more explanation about where the term came from and what kinds of things it can mean: http://whole30.com/2014/04/tiger-blood/ 

I'd tell people not to focus on trying to get the tiger blood. Instead, every day, pay attention to how you're feeling. Did you used to need a nap every afternoon and now you don't? Did you used to feel exhausted and cranky at the end of your work day, come home and snap at your kids/spouse/roommates/pets/random inanimate objects, but now you feel more even-keeled, more patient, less angry? These are the kinds of things that eating good foods in appropriate amounts can help you achieve. A few people get Energizer bunny type energy, but most don't get anything quite that obvious, so you really should pay attention to your own results and not worry about what other people experience or don't experience.

 

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