First time Whole30er-Day 3- HELP!

[Hvalizan]

Hello! My name is Heather, and I am addicted to sugar. Bad. I am a newbie to Whole30 and currently on day 3. I want to curl up in a hole and cry! Holy cow, I had no idea this would be so hard, that I would detox this bad or that I was so incredibly addicted to sugar. I'm looking forward to the benefits of this process, but these first few days are tough. The one thing getting me through is the thought of having to start over and go through all of this again!  No thank you! Today I am suffering from major mood swings, stomach cramps and diarrhea. Everything I read says this is normal, but my husband asked this morning why I am putting myself through this. At that point I had a momentary lapse of mental strength and thought: why?? Really I know why I am doing this, but I would love some encouraging feedback from veterans before I cry and make myself a cup of creamy sugary coffee. 

[TallGirlBabyFace]

Welcome Heather! Everything you're feeling sounds about right. I finished my first whole 30 about 3 weeks ago and continue to eat Paleo but just a little less strictly. 

When I started everyone asked me what's the point of making yourself miserable for a month? And that's the whole point! Whole 30 is just a month! 30 days (well 40 days with reintro) of your life and that's it. I will say it was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, but in the end I lost 12lbs in 6 weeks, have been sleeping like a baby every night, and my menstrual cycle is finally not out of whack.  These are things I've been trying to achieve my whole life, and it all happened with a change of diet and 30 days.

I would say if you are really craving sweets (even though the whole point of W30 is to not recreate dessert because the point is to starve out your cravings) have some unsweetened apple sauce. This was my "dessert" when I was about to cave some days. Stick with it! It's worth it, I promise!

[jmcbn]

2 hours ago, Hvalizan said:

Today I am suffering from major mood swings, stomach cramps and diarrhea.

Hey @Hvalizan & welcome to Whole30

Be sure you're drinking the recommended half an ounce of water per pound of body weight, daily - especially in these early days, and don;t forget to include at least a fist sized serving of starchy veg daily. Salt is also important as switching to Whole foods can cause a decrease in sodium intake of around 70% and you need sodium to function. Lastly, fat is your friend here - embrace it cos it's what will get you through.

If the diarrhea & stomach cramps don't subside soon please come back & let us know what you're eating & hopefully we can help you troubleshoot - some people are sensitive to certain types of foods, but at this early stage we'll put it down to your body detoxing & hope that you feel better soon....

[CriticalValue196]

I'm also a first-timer currently on day eight. I think I've had a pretty atypical experience so far, bouncing back and forth between great days and rough ones (and seemingly skipping the worst of the detox symptoms), but I can tell you that if this program makes those great days the norm then it is definitely worth it. The way I trick myself into doing something tough is to remind myself how much of a BAMF I feel like when I overcome a hurdle as opposed to caving in. You've got this.

[Guest]

Hey there, hvalizan!

please know that this is definitely worth it!  I am/was super addicted to sugar NFL recognized what it was going to my energy level as well as my belly.  I am in Day 15, hump day so to speak. Almost everything they predicted about how someone can respond to the Whole30 day by day has happened to me. And I remember what they said at the beginning, that "This is not hard. Fighting cancer is hard." I have a friend fighting cancer so I got this comparison immediately.   

For me it is truly about believing in myself. And remembering why I am doing it.   You Are Worth It!

[Hvalizan]

Thank you so much everyone for the feedback! It really helps. My tummy is much better today and my head feels more clear. I added sweet potato to each one of my meals yesterday and slept like a baby, so I think that helped. Day 4!! Whoop! 

[scma]

I used coffee with coconut milk and sparkling water to get me through those first few afternoons. It really made a big difference. Just sitting there eating/drinking nothing while I worked was the hardest part at first. Now it's easy.

[RabbitFood]

Fellow sugar addict here.  On Day 16. 

@scma Not eating while I am working was/is my hardest thing, too.  I'm so used to grazing on chocolate and candy while I'm at my desk.  The strongest urges have subsided a bit but . . . @Hvalizan days 6 and 7 for me?  Oh boy.  I wanted to quit and eat chocolate so, so bad.  I wanted to cry and actually shed a tear (so dramatic so just not eating chocolate, I know, just being honest).  Again, the urges to eat sugar are not as strong but I still think about quitting everyday just so that I can eat chocolate and candy. 

@alakal is right, it's not hard (it feels hard but gets easier) and @TallGirlBabyFace is right, too, it's only 30 days (40, really).  I keep reminding myself that the sugar will still be there at the end, if I still want it.

 

[TallGirlBabyFace]

@RabbitFood It did not get easy for me until Day 17. I remember that specific day because I finally figured out my eating schedule! Also I had an aunt who tried W30 and she told me she quit after 15 days and I was basically trying to just get to the halfway point to see if I was seeing any benefits, and I told myself if I didn't notice any NSV then I was going to quit. And honestly my sleep was so good I couldn't give it up!