Day 20 and Super Minimal NSVs

[kirbz]

I'm on Day 20 and have not yet seen many NSVs and definitely none of those that got me started on this journey in the first place. I quite literally reviewed every single of the dozens and dozens and dozens of NSVs listed on the website and this is all I can claim: 

• fewer blemishes
• clothes fitting better
• fewer sugar cravings
• fewer carb cravings
• feeling in control of your food
• learned how to read a label
• eats to satiety 
• more nutrition in my diet

I don't have more energy. I don't have better sleep. I don't have improved brain function. My mood has not changed and I just don't fundamentally feel any different physically (despite that I have definitely lost weight, which was the least prioritized of my goals). I've also had MORE constipation than ever before. 

Am I doing something wrong? I've been logging my meals and exercise (and recently my sleep) here: https://forum.whole30.com/topic/47066-kiras-whole30-log/?tab=comments#comment-466229. 

I would really appreciate any help you could provide! If there is anything at all I can change, I'm happy to try it! I so desperately want this to be successful and I want this to inform my long-term eating habits and decisions. 

[MeadowLily]

https://whole30.com/2017/09/dear-melissa-help-find-tiger-blood/

"The last word: Sometimes, people don’t think they’re feeling that much better until they start feeling worse again. Like, you’ll get to Day 31 and think, “I feel better but nothing ah-mazing,” but then you start to reintroduce and you’re all “OMG THIS FEELS LIKE CRAP! Is this (tired, foggy, craving, achy, blotchy, bloated, sluggish) REALLY how I used to feel?”

Sometimes, you need the comparison for clarity. Just something to think about."

[racheleats]

16 hours ago, kirbz said:

I'm on Day 20 and have not yet seen many NSVs and definitely none of those that got me started on this journey in the first place. I quite literally reviewed every single of the dozens and dozens and dozens of NSVs listed on the website and this is all I can claim: 

• fewer blemishes
• clothes fitting better
• fewer sugar cravings
• fewer carb cravings
• feeling in control of your food
• learned how to read a label
• eats to satiety 
• more nutrition in my diet

I don't have more energy. I don't have better sleep. I don't have improved brain function. My mood has not changed and I just don't fundamentally feel any different physically (despite that I have definitely lost weight, which was the least prioritized of my goals). I've also had MORE constipation than ever before. 

Am I doing something wrong? I've been logging my meals and exercise (and recently my sleep) here: https://forum.whole30.com/topic/47066-kiras-whole30-log/?tab=comments#comment-466229. 

I would really appreciate any help you could provide! If there is anything at all I can change, I'm happy to try it! I so desperately want this to be successful and I want this to inform my long-term eating habits and decisions. 

I think the only thing you're doing wrong is focusing on the negatives!! LOOK AT ALL THOSE NSVs!!!! And you're only on day 20! To me, that is amazing, and I think you shouldn't be so hard on yourself! Change takes time, you're doing an awesome thing for yourself

 

[SugarcubeOD]

1 hour ago, racheleats said:

I think the only thing you're doing wrong is focusing on the negatives!! LOOK AT ALL THOSE NSVs!!!! And you're only on day 20! To me, that is amazing, and I think you shouldn't be so hard on yourself! Change takes time, you're doing an awesome thing for yourself

 

Agreed... I also read through your log @kirbz and I saw some victories (the eating a snack before going to the work sponsored event for instance) but I also saw that on Day 3 you were lamenting that there were no 'improvements yet'.  This is a 30 day program to heal your gut and help you determine what foods affect your body in what way.  there are often improvements but a lifetime of poor eating habits that gets a person into the obese category (as mentioned in your log) is not undone in 20 days or even 30... 

I would also encourage you to use the template to make your meals and while you seem to be on track, I think your meals are a bit small if you're needing to snack daily.  I would also encourage you to eat Meal 1 within an hour of waking and on one day you said it took  you five hours to eat... that's not a meal, that's all day grazing which is not going to help with energy or fat adaptation.

[kirbz]

Thank you for all of the feedback, I do appreciate it! 

@MeadowLily @racheleats I definitely do have a tendency to be overly negative! The control and lack of cravings is a huge NSV and I shouldn't undervalue that. That will be a lifelong blessing for my health. I've just been so focused on more energy that it's so easy to be disappointed by not having it. 

@SugarcubeOD Thank you for looking through my log and providing feedback. Can you be a little more specific on what I can do make my meals more aligned with the template? I've been trying super hard to follow the template for every meal but if I'm missing something, I'm happy to change! What part of the meal should I make larger? Do I need more fats? I do generally feel like I stay full between meals. Out of 20 days, I've only had four days where I had a solid snack (I had a couple of additional days where I had a kombucha or a La Croix but I've stopped even doing that since the first week). Those were days where I was going upwards of 8 hours between meals. Is that excessive snacking?  I can definitely be better about eating within an hour of waking and eating it in one sitting so I'll focus on that (as we speak, I haven't done that this morning)! 

Anyways, thank you so much for the support, advice, and words of encouragement. I'll be more positive and be more dedicated to eat my Meal 1 early! 

[MeadowLily]

I didn't find it negative. I think your W30 was  meticulous, very competent and well thought out.  You put alot into it and you want some results.  Wishing you a smooth transition from W30 through Reintro.