Jump to content

Second time - Different


Recommended Posts

Hi all! This is my first post...
Last year I did my first whole 30 and lost a miraculous 13 pounds in the 30 days and felt great. I was promoting it to all my friends. I am not overweight (5'3" and 140) and normally pretty healthy but was shocked by the results. Finally was at my ideal weight (127). Thought it must've been a dairy or gluten intolerance (that I must've dealt with my whole life) since I am normally a big snacker of all carbs and dairy products (love cheese and bread). 

Well I then wound up getting pregnant with TWINS and gained some weight :). Now 7 months postpartum (no longer breastfeeding) I re-started whole 30...and my results are less than stellar. I started at the same point (140) and have only lost 1 pound (139)! I am very surprised by the results... my skin is slightly better and my sleep is better but am exhausted by day end (moreso than before starting it - not because of twins). And my weight is just staying the same... :(

I dont understand how my body reacted SO WELL to no dairy and no gluten the first time but the second time I'm not seeing the same results... 

Thinking it could be due to being postpartum and my body is still getting used to that... Thoughts?   Its very disheartening and I'm losing motivation to stay with it.

Thanks for any insight.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey @Momof4Whole30 & welcome :)

As I'm sure you are aware Whole30 is not a weight-loss program. The fact that many people see weight loss as a side effect of removing inflammatory foods from their diet is a great bonus, but it's by no means guaranteed.

That said, here's a couple of things for you to consider:

  • You're only 7mths postpartum & your body is undoubtedly still recovering from growing, birthing & feeding two little humans.
  • You're looking after aforementioned little humans & quite possibly using more energy than you realise (which means you need more fuel/food), and you're likely not getting the best sleep - something that impacts our weight WAY more than most people think.

How many hours sleep are you getting each night?

What do a few days worth of typical eating look like for you?

Other than lack of weight loss have you seen any non scale victories?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks @jmcbn!!!!

I actually get a full nights (10:30-6:30) rest (luckily) since I have help (I work full time and many hours so need the help). The only difference this time for me is that I found a food vendor to send me my meals instead of me making them. 

My usual day:

Breakfast: coffee (sometimes bullet proof) with either 2 hard boiled eggs (when I go to work) or scrambled eggs with spinach/kale and mushrooms

Mid-morning: avocado or a fruit or cashews

Lunch: most the time a prepared meal from eatcooked.us (an approved whole 30 vendor) or I make tuna salad with avocado or mustard or a salad with turkey deli meat 

Mid-afternoon: orange or carrots or cashews

Dinner: most the time a prepared meal from eatcooked.us or a protein/vegetable/potato

Post-dinner: a fruit/cashews and tea 

 

As for non-scale victories: my sleep is sound but I'm exhausted by day end. My skin is marginally better, but my clothes fit the same mostly.
I know its not a weight loss program but I'm comparing my results to last time which is why I am surprised with the (lack of) results.

Thanks!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am 7.5 months postpartum and 22 days into whole 30 and have seen VERY little changes. I did the whole 30 before getting pregnant in 2016 and lost 13 lbs in 30 days and felt amazing. This time zero weight loss so far (i know i'm not supposed to check) and very little body changes otherwise...or any of the other benefits.

Question - why would my body react so differently postpartum then before? I started at the same weight both times. And prior to whole 30 I was a huge snacker, always eating bread and cheese, chocolate, etc. taking those out had a huge impact last time, but nothing this time.

I'm very frustrated... any insight into how the postpartum body would be different would be appreciated, or any other insight.

Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators

Are you breastfeeding?

EDIT: I've linked your two posts, one from today and one from MOnday because you are asking the same thing and one of our moderators already told you as much as she can about why postpartum might be different. We can't know exactly for sure but those are the most likely reasons. 

Please don't repost the same topics as it clutters up the forum and wastes time of volunteers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators

I'd also comment and wonder if the Whole30 was a vast departure from your original eating habits the first time you took it on? And how different it is again this time? If you sort of stuck to the Whole30 basics/premise, you likely wouldn't see a drastic change again.

All that said, I've just read your meal rundown and it doesn't sound like you're eating enough food for an active, busy person. Eggs as sole protein are as many as you can hold in one hand without dropping; 3-4 is a good start. If you need to eat between meals you should be prioritizing protein and fat, not fruit and nuts. Your meals should be large enough to hold you over for 4-5 hours without the need for those snacks. The fact you're doing it twice a day means that your meals aren't large enough. I don't know the size of these meals you're having catered but they should match the template and if they don't, bump them up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks @ladyshanny... I reposted but I never got a response to my second post within the same topic... apologies for reposting. To answer your question, I am not breastfeeding - stopped 2 months ago.  My eating up until i restarted was not good, I pretty much ate anything (sweets, chips, cheese, bread, I was the anti-whole30). I felt like I was starting from a very similar place as last time with only the postpartum thing being different.  I am surprised to hear you say I'm not eating enough as I feel my meals are actually bigger this time around...  I am confused and cannot understand it. Thanks for any additional insight you might have...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Whole30 Certified Coach

I've only popped out one little but I've heard from lots of friends who got below pre-preggo weight without trying after kid #1 that the same didn't happen with kid #2... no idea why but I've heard it enough to think there may be something to it.  

Also, my husband had a pretty similar experience.  25 (!!) pounds his first W30 (about all he had to lose - all beer belly).  2 W30s in the last few years have never come close - 10-12 lbs and he has more to lose these days.  Just like you I posted about it wondering why.  I guess we will never know!

 

Have you gotten your period back?  Have you had labs recently? Thyroid can be disrupted peri-pregnancy. 

But as the moderators said, W30 isn't really about weight loss - it is about learning about how food effects your body (and your mind) and changing your relationship with food - not just a 30 day diet.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@littleg THANK YOU!!! Nice to know I'm not crazy. May talk to a nutritionist to understand why my body would react so differently the 2nd time. I was sure my weight loss was due to the fact that I may be gluten or lactose intolerant... but this time I am seeing zero results. I agree that the relationship with food was my main driver, but if I am having ZERO results than the gluten and sugar and lactose werent the problem... so frustrating!

I have not gotten my period back but I also never get it to begin with (I dont ovulate on my own) so thats never been indicative for me, however I like your suggestion of having my thyroid tested. 

Thanks again!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, Momof4Whole30 said:

I never got a response to my second post within the same topic

My apologies - we're all volunteers here (ie. the Moderators) and I've had a pretty hectic week IRL - I did actually mean to come back...!!

I second @ladyshanny on the 'not eating enough' front though - the need for snacks is indicative that your meals are less than substantial... Not eating enough often causes the metabolism to slow down in a bid to save fuel so is counter productive.

Another thing to bear in mind re post pregnancy weightloss is that you're not the same age as you were first time around, and the older you get the harder it is to lose weight simply because mother nature is doing everything in her power to keep you fertile so she makes you retain weight to 'protect' those reproductive organs...

I'd also concur with @littleg about your thyroid though - always worth testing.

Let us know how you get on.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...