Help! Am I doing this right?

[mhudec]

Hi all - 

I'm on day 18 of the whole 30...and patiently awaiting those positive physical changes. I have made a few nice mental changes, but am really hoping for a few specifically physical changes, namely clearer skin (I still have mild/moderate acne at 26 and am taking oral meds and a topical cream for it). I did the whole30 in hopes of working toward a better relationship with food, not getting 'hangry' in between meals, and to try to alleviate the blotchy redness I've ALWAYS had on the backs of my upper arms. Oh, and obviously weight loss is important (I'd ultimately like to drop about 10 pounds), but I wanted a program that would help me break from my terrible relationship with the scale. 

I was patient through the first two weeks, understanding that I wouldn't likely see any changes. I actually didn't have too many negative side effects, as my diet was pretty clean before this (veggies at every meal,  whole wheat pasta, rice, quinoa, greek yogurt, etc) . But it's coming up on 3 weeks in, and I don't feel any different. This makes me concerned that nothing is happening. Sometimes I catch myself looking in the mirror at a new angle, and freaking out that I look worse. 

Here's my current food intake: 

up at 7:30 

Breakfast (8:45 am, right when I get to work)- 3 eggs, a few pieces of roasted butternut squash, 3 cups of sauteed cabbage, and 2 tbsp of hempseed, black coffee

Lunch (12:45 pm): palm sized chicken thigh, 1.5 oz ish of smoked salmon, sauteed cabbage (I have a lot of cabbage to eat up haha), 1/2 cup ish of roasted carrots, small scoop guac and maybe 1 tbsp whole 30 mayo. (sometimes I have a small spoonful of coconut oil around 4 pm if I can't make it to my 5:30 pre-workout snack)

Pre-workout (5:30 pm) : egg and closed handful of raw almonds (I have tiny hands, so maybe 10-12?) 

Post-workout (7:30 pm) : one chicken tender, 1/2 cup ish of diced and roasted sweet potatoes. 

Dinner (9 pm): ground turkey with 5 cups spinach, a few plantain slices, whole 30 mayo

Bed at 11:30 pm. 

For my workouts, I do 4 days of relatively heavy weight lifting for 45 minutes, one day of a 4.5 mile run, one day of HIIT sprints. 

I sleep okay- about 7 hours a night. Regarding stress, I'm getting married on on 10/7/17, and while I'm certainly busy with wedding plans, I'm not overly stressed.  

I'm also still having some digestive issues. Sometimes stomach cramps right after eating, bloating, gas, diarrhea, though not every time.  

 

So to summarize, I'm happy that over the last 18 days, I've been snacking less, haven't binged, am eating when I'm hungry (as opposed to waiting until a certain time), but I think I need to see physical changes in order to feel like this is all 'worth it'. It's been hard to say no to so many noncompliant foods, day in and day out, to not change my shape or have my skin clear up. 

Please help! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ladyshanny]

Hmmm....you're barely halfway through the program so maybe keep being patient a bit longer.   Expecting to "change your shape" after 18 days is, honestly, expecting a lot. Like...a LOT. Although we can all relate. Isn't there a meme out there about how "I dieted all morning, why am I not skinny yet?". Not to say that this is a diet at all, but our expectations of ourselves sometimes can be really unrealistic and it's SO common they make memes about it.  

Your meals look pretty good. Bloating, gas and diarrhea can be caused from cruciferous veggies like cabbage depending on how much of it you're eating. Also nuts can be hard on the stomach and raw veggies as well. 

If you are working out at 530 for 45 minutes to an hour, why are you waiting until 9pm to eat dinner? This may or may not be affecting you. We recommend that people stop eating a few hours before bedtime. In the evening, for someone who has balanced hormones and works/lives a regular day/night schedule, by mid-evening your body is starting to wind down its fuel needs. Eating that late can be problematic for some people. Not saying it is for you but you might like to examine it?

[madness]

For my first round of Whole30 last  year, my skin took the absolute longest of any other change. I honestly didn't expect an improvement (I have psoriasis) but did see it after 2 full months on the program. I've read plenty of stories of people seeing their rosacea, acne, dull skin, dry skin, whatever, show marked improvement within mere days of starting. I think those are the outliers and it's much more common for slow progress in that area. Hopefully yours won't take as long as mine, but keep up the good work and stick with it!

[mhudec]

Okay, thanks both! I will keep all that in mind as I head into the last 10 days.