Halfway there...

[Annieloves]

I have reached the halfway point of my first whole30! I should be feeling enthralled, proud, and energetic right? Well, I don't. And that's really discouraging. This newfound energy and clear mind that so many people seem to describe by the second week just isn't ringing true to me. I'm just as exhausted and fatigued as when I began. Not to mention I began the program with my best friend (whom I live with) and my boyfriend. So my boyfriend started shaky from the beginning, the 3rd day in was his fathers birthday dinner and he drank wine (I did not). We were enjoying cooking whole30 compliant meals together but he was getting really frustrated with the fact of getting hungry while he's out and about and having to make sure to get something to eat which follows the rules. Once again he drank on Easter as well and I did not. So basically my boyfriend hasn't been able to fully commit to this program. As of last night my best friend fell off as well. She was out with a friend and got a totally non compliant meal (mexican food which I love... think burrito, rice, beans, chips, the whole shebang...) and I asked her why she decided to stop and she told me she's not noticing any big positive changes by doing the program. So just like that she called it quits. I guess I'm feeing sad that two of the most important people in my life couldn't complete this journey with me. Would I not feel this way if I began this all on my own from the start? I am dealing with all the things they were... wondering if it's all worth it because at the halfway point I DO NOT FEEL GREAT. But i refuse to quit. I am doing this. But dang it I want to enjoy it at some point!! I want to wake up refreshed not sluggish. I wish I could know when that will happen. Who else out there relates to this? I would love feedback please.

XO-

just keep swimming... just keep swimming

[ShannonM816]

First, remember that your boyfriend and your friend are both adults, making their own decisions, and you don't have any responsibility for them. You also are an adult, who gets to decide what to do with her own life, so decide if you're going to honor the commitment you made to yourself to spend 30 days doing something potentially life-changing for yourself. If you are, then we can try to troubleshoot what's going on and why you're not feeling great right now.

If you really want feedback on what you might need to do differently to change your results, we'd need you to tell us specifically what you're eating -- list out a day or two of typical meals, including portion sizes according to what's listed on the meal template, specific vegetables you're eating, how much water you're drinking, what kinds of workouts you're doing, if any, and if you are, what kinds of pre- and post-workout food you're having. 

In general, things that can cause a person to still be feeling tired a couple of weeks into this include: underlying health issues that are not going to clear up in 30 days, much less just 15; a history of very restrictive dieting; not eating enough food in general; not eating enough fat; not having enough starchy vegetables; not drinking enough water; not sleeping enough or getting good sleep; or not salting food. If it's underlying problems that pre-date your Whole30, it may just take longer than 30 days to really see changes. That happens for some people. We probably won't be able to tell you anything too useful for that one, since it's not necessarily food related, although eating better can help.

As far as eating enough -- many people are surprised at the volume of food they can eat on Whole30. It's okay to eat as much as you need to eat to have the energy you need to do the things you want to do. You should be eating tons of vegetables every day -- a mix of different kinds. Most people feel best if they have at least a fist-sized serving of starchy vegetables like potato, sweet potato, other root vegetables, or winter squashes each day, and people who are active, who are prone to depression or anxiety, or women who are pregnant, nursing, or in the week or so leading up to their period often find they need more. Many people also find that having a serving of starchy vegetables in their last meal of the day helps them sleep better. You should also be eating 1-2 palm-sized portions of protein at each meal, the length, width, and height of your palm. If eggs are your only protein in a meal, have as many whole eggs as you can hold in your hand, which is probably 3-4. And at each meal, you should be having 1-2 thumb-sized portions of fat, or pick one to two of the other options listed on the meal template I linked to above -- in general, add at least one serving of fat in addition to what you cook in, as much of the cooking fat stays in the pan, and because if you're cooking multiple servings, the fat gets divided up so it's not always as much as you think. Olives, avocados, any form of coconut, occasionally some nuts or seeds, or sauces, dips, or dressings are all good sources of fat you can add to meals -- make some ranch dressing and dip your veggies in it, make a hollandaise sauce for your eggs sometimes, make mayo and use it to make chicken, tuna, or egg salad, or deviled eggs, or just dip your vegetables in it. What I've listed above is what you really need to eat, bare minimum, three times a day. You can add fruit to any of these meals if you want, though it's best to limit it to not more than a couple of servings a day. You should also eat pre- and post-workout meals on days you work out, in addition to these three meals. And if you're truly hungry between meals, it's okay to eat something, but it's best to have a mini-meal of protein, fat, and vegetables, or at least two of the three.

[Annieloves]

You are right Shannon, I do need to accept that I am the only person I can have full responsibility over. With that being said, I do want to troubleshoot with the whole30 community and gather deeper understanding with the issues I'm having. And I'm going to have to be completely honest even with the things that are difficult to say.

First and foremost I am going through a very transitional time in my life. I have parted ways with my previous job last month which I was miserable at. In my heart I know I need to make a career change because what I was doing is draining and I am not able to express my creativity and passion. So I do take into consideration how that is weighing on me emotionally. I am prone to depression. However, I'm optimistic deep down and know I'm not a victim, I just haven't mastered not allowing my emotions to overtake me. 

Let me walk you though a day in my life waking up, eating, going to bed, etc...

Sleep schedule:

When I fall asleep I am asleep DEEPLY. I rarely/sometimes wake up in the middle of the night but can always fall back asleep. The problem is my sleep pattern. It is very sporadic. For example in a one week period I'll get in bed at 1:15am--2am--1:30am--3am--12:45am--1:50am--2:20am. Waking up is a CHALLENGE. Even if i've slept for 8 hours! Lets say I go to bed at 2am, I will set my alarm for 10am and keep pressing snooze and eventually roll out of bed at 11:30am (I can't stand that I do this) This is not a new thing because i'm not working. I don't work morning jobs, i've been sleeping this way for years.

What I'm eating:

Sample 1- 

Breakfast: 12pm- 2  scrambled eggs cooking with 1/2 T coconut oil. 1/2 c blueberries, 1/2 c spinach. 1/2 avocado. few dashes of hot sauce

Snack: 3pm-  larabar

Lunch: 5pm- 1 serving canned wild caught tuna with chopped celery, red onion, pickle. 1 T whole30 mayo, 1/2 T yellow mustard, 1 t dijon. all over a bed of 1 c greens

Dinner: 10pm 1 template serving turkey casserole. glass baking dish lined with zucchini and multiple spices. layered with cooked ground turkey and tomato paste, sliced tomatoes and chopped bell peppers on top. baked with almond meal, coconut flour, and olive oil sauce on top.

Sample 2-

Breakfast: 1:30pm- fruit and veg smoothie. I c spinach, 1 cup mixed frozen berries, 1 T almond butter, 1/2 c almond milk, half banana

Lunch: 5pm- 1 template serving Lamb burger cooked with 1 T avocado oil wrapped in butter lettuce with tomato, caramelized onion, 1/2 T mayo, 1/2 T mustard. 1/2 baked sweet potato

Snack: 7pm- 2 dates stuffed with 1 serving pistachios and 2 T unsweetened coconut

Dinner:  12am- 1 template serving Wild caught salmon filet cooked with 1 T coconut oil with  2 servings sautéed asparagus. Added fresh lemon, lots of garlic, and dill

 

As you can see I eat very late. "breakfast" a lot of the time will be past noon because of my sleep schedule. That was tough for me to write out, I feel embarrassed by it. I haven't snacked everyday but I probably have have 8 out of the 16 days i've done the program. Same goes for coffee, I don't drink it everyday. My water intake is all over the place I'm sure, some days 4 glasses some days 8... I am currently not on a workout plan because I want to get situated with this lifestyle change before I dive into that. I am active throughout the week either going for a hike or taking a yoga class. I hope this paints a clear picture of where i'm at and what issues i'm facing. 

 

 

[Annieloves]

On April 20, 2017 at 5:56 PM, ShannonM816 said:

First, remember that your boyfriend and your friend are both adults, making their own decisions, and you don't have any responsibility for them. You also are an adult, who gets to decide what to do with her own life, so decide if you're going to honor the commitment you made to yourself to spend 30 days doing something potentially life-changing for yourself. If you are, then we can try to troubleshoot what's going on and why you're not feeling great right now.

If you really want feedback on what you might need to do differently to change your results, we'd need you to tell us specifically what you're eating -- list out a day or two of typical meals, including portion sizes according to what's listed on the meal template, specific vegetables you're eating, how much water you're drinking, what kinds of workouts you're doing, if any, and if you are, what kinds of pre- and post-workout food you're having. 

In general, things that can cause a person to still be feeling tired a couple of weeks into this include: underlying health issues that are not going to clear up in 30 days, much less just 15; a history of very restrictive dieting; not eating enough food in general; not eating enough fat; not having enough starchy vegetables; not drinking enough water; not sleeping enough or getting good sleep; or not salting food. If it's underlying problems that pre-date your Whole30, it may just take longer than 30 days to really see changes. That happens for some people. We probably won't be able to tell you anything too useful for that one, since it's not necessarily food related, although eating better can help.

As far as eating enough -- many people are surprised at the volume of food they can eat on Whole30. It's okay to eat as much as you need to eat to have the energy you need to do the things you want to do. You should be eating tons of vegetables every day -- a mix of different kinds. Most people feel best if they have at least a fist-sized serving of starchy vegetables like potato, sweet potato, other root vegetables, or winter squashes each day, and people who are active, who are prone to depression or anxiety, or women who are pregnant, nursing, or in the week or so leading up to their period often find they need more. Many people also find that having a serving of starchy vegetables in their last meal of the day helps them sleep better. You should also be eating 1-2 palm-sized portions of protein at each meal, the length, width, and height of your palm. If eggs are your only protein in a meal, have as many whole eggs as you can hold in your hand, which is probably 3-4. And at each meal, you should be having 1-2 thumb-sized portions of fat, or pick one to two of the other options listed on the meal template I linked to above -- in general, add at least one serving of fat in addition to what you cook in, as much of the cooking fat stays in the pan, and because if you're cooking multiple servings, the fat gets divided up so it's not always as much as you think. Olives, avocados, any form of coconut, occasionally some nuts or seeds, or sauces, dips, or dressings are all good sources of fat you can add to meals -- make some ranch dressing and dip your veggies in it, make a hollandaise sauce for your eggs sometimes, make mayo and use it to make chicken, tuna, or egg salad, or deviled eggs, or just dip your vegetables in it. What I've listed above is what you really need to eat, bare minimum, three times a day. You can add fruit to any of these meals if you want, though it's best to limit it to not more than a couple of servings a day. You should also eat pre- and post-workout meals on days you work out, in addition to these three meals. And if you're truly hungry between meals, it's okay to eat something, but it's best to have a mini-meal of protein, fat, and vegetables, or at least two of the three.

 

 

You are right Shannon, I do need to accept that I am the only person I can have full responsibility over. With that being said, I do want to troubleshoot with the whole30 community and gather deeper understanding with the issues I'm having. And I'm going to have to be completely honest even with the things that are difficult to say.

First and foremost I am going through a very transitional time in my life. I have parted ways with my previous job last month which I was miserable at. In my heart I know I need to make a career change because what I was doing is draining and I am not able to express my creativity and passion. So I do take into consideration how that is weighing on me emotionally. I am prone to depression. However, I'm optimistic deep down and know I'm not a victim, I just haven't mastered not allowing my emotions to overtake me. 

Let me walk you though a day in my life waking up, eating, going to bed, etc...

Sleep schedule:

When I fall asleep I am asleep DEEPLY. I rarely/sometimes wake up in the middle of the night but can always fall back asleep. The problem is my sleep pattern. It is very sporadic. For example in a one week period I'll get in bed at 1:15am--2am--1:30am--3am--12:45am--1:50am--2:20am. Waking up is a CHALLENGE. Even if i've slept for 8 hours! Lets say I go to bed at 2am, I will set my alarm for 10am and keep pressing snooze and eventually roll out of bed at 11:30am (I can't stand that I do this) This is not a new thing because i'm not working. I don't work morning jobs, i've been sleeping this way for years.

What I'm eating:

Sample 1- 

Breakfast: 12pm- 2  scrambled eggs cooking with 1/2 T coconut oil. 1/2 c blueberries, 1/2 c spinach. 1/2 avocado. few dashes of hot sauce

Snack: 3pm-  larabar

Lunch: 5pm- 1 serving canned wild caught tuna with chopped celery, red onion, pickle. 1 T whole30 mayo, 1/2 T yellow mustard, 1 t dijon. all over a bed of 1 c greens

Dinner: 10pm 1 template serving turkey casserole. glass baking dish lined with zucchini and multiple spices. layered with cooked ground turkey and tomato paste, sliced tomatoes and chopped bell peppers on top. baked with almond meal, coconut flour, and olive oil sauce on top.

Sample 2-

Breakfast: 1:30pm- fruit and veg smoothie. I c spinach, 1 cup mixed frozen berries, 1 T almond butter, 1/2 c almond milk, half banana

Lunch: 5pm- 1 template serving Lamb burger cooked with 1 T avocado oil wrapped in butter lettuce with tomato, caramelized onion, 1/2 T mayo, 1/2 T mustard. 1/2 baked sweet potato

Snack: 7pm- 2 dates stuffed with 1 serving pistachios and 2 T unsweetened coconut

Dinner:  12am- 1 template serving Wild caught salmon filet cooked with 1 T coconut oil with  2 servings sautéed asparagus. Added fresh lemon, lots of garlic, and dill

 

As you can see I eat very late. "breakfast" a lot of the time will be past noon because of my sleep schedule. That was tough for me to write out, I feel embarrassed by it. I haven't snacked everyday but I probably have have 8 out of the 16 days i've done the program. Same goes for coffee, I don't drink it everyday. My water intake is all over the place I'm sure, some days 4 glasses some days 8... I am currently not on a workout plan because I want to get situated with this lifestyle change before I dive into that. I am active throughout the week either going for a hike or taking a yoga class. I hope this paints a clear picture of where i'm at and what issues i'm facing. 

 

[ShannonM816]

Make yourself get out of bed without hitting the snooze button. You may have to keep your alarm across the room from you or something to make yourself get up. Maybe even try setting a bedtime and making a routine. Even if your bedtime is 1 or 2 am, stick to it, so the time you go to bed and the time you wake up is consistent every day. Try doing the things recommended in this article to create a routine. Also, try to get out into the sunshine as soon as you can during the day -- it'll help you regulate your sleep better, and also help with depression. 

For your meals, the fact that you're needing snacks is a sign that your meals aren't big enough. Ideally, meals will keep you satisfied for 4-5 hours at a time. I'm adding some tweaks you might want to try to make to your meals for better results. 

Quote

 

Sample 1- 

Breakfast: 12pm- 2  scrambled eggs cooking with 1/2 T coconut oil. 1/2 c blueberries, 1/2 c spinach. 1/2 avocado. few dashes of hot sauce Add another egg, and more vegetables -- a serving of eggs if they're your only protein is as many whole eggs as you can hold in your hand. The instructions for vegetables is to fill your plate -- that's at least a couple of cups of vegetables.

Snack: 3pm-  larabar  If you're hungry between meals, have a mix of protein, fat, and vegetables, or at least two of the three. Larabars are basically candy bars, they'll keep you craving sweets, and they'll cause a spike and drop in blood sugar that can leave you more tired and hungry later.

Lunch: 5pm- 1 serving canned wild caught tuna with chopped celery, red onion, pickle. 1 T whole30 mayo, 1/2 T yellow mustard, 1 t dijon. all over a bed of 1 c greens

Dinner: 10pm 1 template serving turkey casserole. glass baking dish lined with zucchini and multiple spices. layered with cooked ground turkey and tomato paste, sliced tomatoes and chopped bell peppers on top. baked with almond meal, coconut flour, and olive oil sauce on top   It's hard to tell, but you might need more vegetables with this -- it's never a bad idea to add more vegetables, you should be eating a ton of vegetables every day. 

Sample 2-

Breakfast: 1:30pm- fruit and veg smoothie. I c spinach, 1 cup mixed frozen berries, 1 T almond butter, 1/2 c almond milk, half banana This is more than a day's worth of fruit in one meal. There's no protein at all. And hardly any vegetables. This is basically a sugar bomb, first thing in your day after fasting overnight. 

Lunch: 5pm- 1 template serving Lamb burger cooked with 1 T avocado oil wrapped in butter lettuce with tomato, caramelized onion, 1/2 T mayo, 1/2 T mustard. 1/2 baked sweet potato Add more veggies, and don't be afraid of the fat. You may have cooked the burger in a tablespoon of oil, but how much of that oil did you actually eat vs how much stayed in the pan? Put some ghee or coconut oil on that sweet potato.

Snack: 7pm- 2 dates stuffed with 1 serving pistachios and 2 T unsweetened coconut Again, if you're hungry, it's fine to eat, but dates and nuts are not your best option.

Dinner:  12am- 1 template serving Wild caught salmon filet cooked with 1 T coconut oil with  2 servings sautéed asparagus. Added fresh lemon, lots of garlic, and dill. 

 

 

[FitAndFabForever]

I hope you read this.

I hope you stayed with the Whole 30 or are planning to try again soon, with the modifications Shannon offered. (Really helpful by the way). Reading "It Starts with Food" has helped me. It's possibly in a local library. In terms of support, I purchased the daily emails $15 or so and they are SO WORTH it! It feels like someone 'gets' the ups and downs and tells you about them every day. The emails are full of tips and encouragement. I highly recommend them - even if it feels like a luxury. It can make the difference in feeling connected when no-one around you is doing this or going through the tough times. 

Don't feel bad about the way your sleep happens. Many people struggle with sleeping a normal schedule. If you haven't researched about sleep already here's a link to a website that lists different sleep 'disorders' - even unusual ones. When I read them I felt better as I've struggled to keep a 'decent' bed time. Most of my life I've been a night owl and get energized just when people are heading to bed. I'm still working on it and its been much improved by daily exercise (walking at least half an hour) and other interventions. don't judge yourself and ignore others' judgments as they probably don't understand it can be hard to change this pattern.  

You're not alone. All the best. :-)

https://www.sleepassociation.org/circadian-rhythm-sleep-disorder/