Hit a wall

[Mr. Greg]

On Jan 7th, my wife and I started the Whole 30 plan. Starting at 367 lbs, the first month was so successful for me (lost 26 lbs, felt great, healthier, edema going down, sleep apnea gone, etc...) that I decided to continue the plan. We just finished up our 3rd Whole 30 back to back to back, and now are on our 4th. I am down 58 lbs, but have hit a wall.

I'm not sure what is happening as I have not lost any weight over the last 2 weeks. I am still eating the same Whole 30 compliant foods. I am still very strict about the plan. And when I go out to eat, plan what I can eat in advance.

Has my body adapted to the food? to the change?

Suggestions?

 

Thank you all very much,

Greg

[Brewer5]

First of all, congratulations!  58 pounds in 3 months is a HUGE accomplishment -- as is sticking to Whole 30 eating for that amount of time.  Seriously.  You have made so much progress ~ don't lose sight of the non-scale victories you've gained.  That is awesome.  

It would be helpful if you list what your typical days look like.  That could help with suggestions you might get.  

The #1 thing that stands out in my mind (which may or may not apply) is that IF you have been eating nuts, nut butters, dried fruits, Larabars, trail mixes -- it may be time to think about replacing some of those items with more protein.  They are not very satiating, and they are easy to overdo.  Protein, on the other hand, will provide much-needed nutrients and long-lasting energy to help blast you through your days & keep this good thing going.  

If you are not eating those things at all, it could also be that your body is working through a period of stress or healing, and you just need to stay the course that makes you feel good, and trust the system.   It could also be that you've simply reached a point of energy balance, and you may have to play around with the composition of your meals a little bit to shake things up & see what works.

In any case, best wishes, and again -- CONGRATS!    

[Mr. Greg]

Thank you very much. I appreciate the comments.

My typical day... it varies. Keep in mind that even though I work 55ish hours per week, this schedule that I lay out is quite a bit less than what I used to maintain a couple of years ago. I run a business, so I have a lot of stress. Learning to let that go will take me quite some time. Let's just say that I am working on it, but it will be a multi year process.

Mon, Tues, Thurs, Friday: 0430 Get up, brush teeth, breathing exercises, pray for 20-30 min, Journal. Exercise: Sit-ups, Push ups, Squats, Lunges, Mountain Climbers, Jumping Jacks. Shower. Enjoy a hearty Whole 30 compliant egg, chicken sausage, green pepper, orange pepper, tomato, hash brown scramble cooked in olive oil. Read the Bible. 0615 - 0630 Off to work. 

Work consists of a lot of sitting for almost half the day. Computers, phones, meetings. The other half is going out to meet customers and estimating. Sometimes eating lunch can be difficult. I usually bring the previous night's dinner left overs for lunch. But if I have a longer estimating schedule, I will eat nuts or LaraBars. (You did call that!)

Mon, Tues, Friday 6PM, head for home. Thursday 10PM - 12AM, head for home or a Bible Study, or one of my son's baseball games. Try to eat dinner between 6:30 and whenever I get home on the study / baseball nights.

Monday: Dad's night out with one of the kids. Tuesday: Bible Study Thursday: Late night at work. Friday: Family time / Date night with wife

Generally get to sleep between 10PM and 11PM.

Slight modification on Tuesday: I fast all day. Not for eating reasons, but for spiritual reasons.

 

Wednesday: 0730 Get up. Relax. Late breakfast. Work 11AM-4PM ish. Early dinner meal. Head to son's baseball practice or other child's function. Get back home around 7:30 - 8:15PM

Saturday: Try to sleep in, but lately, 0630 for one event or another. Pretty faithful in breakfast. Every Saturday is different. Try to get a late lunch / early dinner.

Sunday: 0730 Get up. Breakfast. Church. 1PM Lunch Church / Office work. 5ish or 6ish - snack on nuts.

 

I know the schedule is kind of hectic. I didn't even list it all. But to be honest, it's not going to change. KIds graduating high school and starting college. Spring and summer baseball. Vacation. Possible fall baseball and football. Not to mention theater rehearsals, etc...

 

I've been very faithful to the Whole 30. I see great things. I just want to see them continue.

I spoke with a friend on Paleo, and he asked about my exercise regimen. I think I will actually hit the gym instead of my home exercises. Plus, I will severely reduce the amount of nut intake. 

My goal this year is to lose 145 lbs.

I know that is an insane goal. But even if I miss it, how close will I come? And how healthy will I become in the process? This program has revolutionized how I look at food.

 

Thank you for your time,

Greg

[SugarcubeOD]

That's a lot of information but what would be helpful for us to help you is if you listed out the food you're eating and timing of said meals.  Are you following the template? It also looks like some days you're eating only two meals?  The whole30 is not a weightloss diet but not eating 3 meals a day is going to tell your body that you're in 'famine'  That means that body is not going to give up any extra weight because it's trying to prepare for food to reduce or stop coming altogether.  On top of only eating two meals a day some days, you also fast all day Tuesday which is fine if that's what your religion requires but you really then need to focus on getting the other six days up to snuff as far as eating 3 template meals a day.  Snacking on nuts doesn't count as a meal and honestly, if you can plan for taking a Larabar on those long estimating meetings, you could really plan for taking protein and fat... how about chicken and guacamole or leftover meatballs and mayo.  That would serve you a lot better than the nuts or bars.

[Brewer5]

@Mr. Greg yes, that was a very detailed response -- but I'll bet it was helpful for you just to think about it & type it all out, wasn't it?   

Whew.  You've got a lot going on.  But that's ok.  Many (most?) of us do.

Two thoughts this morning:

1) "You did call that one!"

Yes.  Yes I did.  And do you know how?   Years of my own experiences with the effects of food and Whole 30's.  Years of seeing people coming to the forums, struggling.  

I would be willing to bet that if you focus on that one change -- cutting out Larabars and also not relying on nuts as a stand-alone "get me through" -- replacing them with meat and/or eggs instead -- you will not only see the number on the scale begin to drop as you want it to, but you will FEEL better.  You may not think that they make you feel badly now, but I believe you will take note of a noticeable improvement in energy, mood, and mental clarity.  

2)  Hey, it's Monday!   What a great time to start logging your meals & snacks for a week.  If you want real-time feedback, I know of at least one person who is willing to be here & do that for you.   It can be very helpful, even without feedback from others, just to put it somewhere in writing.  We can start to see our own theories emerging.  "Wow, I went a long time without eating and then I wanted to eat the whole house by the time I got home" etc etc.  

Best wishes!

[Mr. Greg]

@Brewer5 ,

Thank you for letting me know that others have a lot going on too.

I think I am going to take you up on that. Years ago, I used to log my food. Attached is a template I created.

Thoughts? I can tweak it.

And a FWIW,

Monday Breakfast (0545) Eggs, Chicken Sausage, Tomatoes, Green Peppers, Yellow Peppers, Salt & Pepper. Cooked in Olive oil

Monday Lunch: (1155) Chicken Salad with homemade Whole 30 Ranch recipe we found on the internet. (Kids actually like it more than the original Ranch!) - Restaurant meeting

Monday Dinner: (7ish) 1/2 Steak cold leftover from last night's meal and Pumpkin Seeds (at son's baseball game)

Liquids: At least 12 glasses of water.

 

Tuesday:

Water. So far at least 5 glasses.

 

I'll get started and weigh myself tomorrow.

Thank you very much.

 

@SugarcubeOD, 

So, I will be logging my food, and seeing what changes / tweaks are to be made.

You are right about the LaraBars & nuts. And if I am gone, I can plan ahead. I have been relying on them too much.

My religion doesn't require fasting. I choose to do it. It draws me closer to God. (And helps me be a better driver on the road!)

I know that the Whole 30 isn't about weight loss in and of itself, but for people of my size, that is a byproduct of becoming healthier. As stated in my first post, I have seen multiple health benefits in the first month alone: Sleep Apnea gone, adema going down, more energy, better sleep, even snoring is going down.

Thank you for your input, and look forward to your insight as I continue this thread.

Greg Swartz Weekly Food & Exercise Log - 20110830 to 2011110730.xlsx

[Mr. Greg]

One more thing... when I was logging my food in the past, I would weigh myself daily. After my first whole 30, and no weighing for a month, I started weighing myself on a weekly basis. If you all think that is a good idea, I'll continue that.

 

Also regarding liquids, I pretty much drink water... that's about it. Maybe 5 times since January have I had something different.

[Brewer5]

@Mr. Greg ~ a couple of thoughts.  

I am a spreadsheet person myself.  I LOVE spreadsheets!   BUT.   Not for my nutrition.  

Also not a fan of tracking macros or calories like on MFP.  Yep, been there, done that, years ago when I first started lifting for the first time in my life.  

Since my time at Whole 30 forums (4 years now), I'm pretty sure I can honestly say I haven't done that.  If I did, I can tell you it was very short-lived ... because there's nothing natural about it.  It adds stress & just feels wrong.

I think you've learned a lot about your body in this time.  I think you are feeling pretty good -- that's why you've stuck with it, instead of going off looking for the next thing to try.  I think you have a good thing going here & I think you know it, too.  This *feels* different from previous attempts at weight loss, doesn't it?

That's because it IS different.

I don't think you'll find anyone here encouraging the use of your spreadsheet.   Not because spreadsheets aren't awesome!   They are SO awesome.  Lol.  But because you need to listen to your body and adjust accordingly.  That's what this is all about.  

So.  When I said log your food, I simply meant exactly what you did above.  That's great.  At this point, probably no one cares how many eggs & sausage you had.  BUT, if you were having issues with energy, mood, snacking, etc -- now people could look back and say, ok, Mr. Greg, just how many eggs & sausages are you eating at breakfast?  (Because in that case, it may not be enough).

On the issue of weighing:  as you know, it is a rule to not weigh on a Whole 30.  And you didn't.  If you are weighing yourself weekly now ~ you are riding your own bike.  We probably won't comment on that, because it's your choice.  I personally will say that I NEVER encourage daily weighing.  Ever.  I think it's a horrible practice to get into that can really mess with someone's mind, as there are just too many variables on a daily basis.  

If you decide to cut out nuts & Larabars for a week, feel better overall, and want to hop on the scale just to see if the number lines up with *what you are already feeling* ~ well, no one is going to stop you.  Just have your head in the right place before you do it.  If the number is the same or even more -- are you going to go back to Larabars & nuts?   ...I would hope not.

The weather is beautiful here today.  Finally.  After a long, hard winter.  I hope it is nice where you are, too ~ and you can spend some time out enjoying it!   Keep on keeping on, man.  You're doing great.

[Mr. Greg]

@Brewer5

Fair enough. I won't send in the spread sheet.

But I will be logging my food. I think that process alone will help me be significantly more conscious in my food intake... especially if I post it to others...

I definitely will NOT be counting calories.

Yes, I have learned a lot about my body over this past 3 months.

And while I understand the not weighing one's self on the Whole 30, (I did not the first month) I have a pretty big weight loss goal this year. (I'm a very goal oriented person.) So, I really need to be tracking where I am at. I think weekly will be sufficient. (I agree with you about the daily.) Now, if the weight continued to keep coming off like it did the first month... I'd say OK... once every month... at the end of the Whole 30. Yes, I know it's not all about weight... it's about health. I get that. My goal is already in place, and I have several people holding me accountable on it. (and several other goals.)

If my weight goes up, then there is a problem. I understand that I need to eat healthy and what I feel is right. But I don't think that going up at all is a good thing. Period. Last week I weighed 309 lbs... I know that 309 is not my equilibrium point... not even close. In fact, I believe my ideal weight would be closer to 205 - 220. With that said, if the weight does go up, I'm not going back to LaraBars and nuts... I have been chastised enough. Besides, if I plan ahead, I will have proper nutrition ahead of time.

So does this mean that I am not on a Whole 30? No... I'm still following the foods. I'm just weighing myself once a week... instead of waiting the month. 

By the way, I think you have a gift in encouragement.

Thank you.

You certainly have encouraged me

One final thing: Yes... this is different. I can see sticking to this plan. I see it as a lifestyle change. Whereas other things before... you are right... they were temporary.

[Mr. Greg]

Sorry for the double post. I added 1 sentence on the end. And can't seem to figure out how to delete my original post.

[SugarcubeOD]

51 minutes ago, Mr. Greg said:

Sorry for the double post. I added 1 sentence on the end. And can't seem to figure out how to delete my original post.

Fixed

[Brewer5]

Thank you, Mr. Greg.  I appreciate your kind words more than you know.

And you haven't been chastised.  You've been *encouraged* to do just a little better for your body and your goals.   Because you are ready for that next step.  That's all.  

 

[Mr. Greg]

4/30/2018	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday
Wake up	4:30 AM	4:30 AM	7:50 AM	4:30 AM
Weght			305.5 lbs
Breakfast	Eggs, Chicken Sausage,	Fasting	late breakfast. 10:30 AM	Eggs, Whole 30 chorizo, hash
	Tomatoes, Green Peppers		Eggs, Whole 30 chorizo, hash	browns, tomatoes, green peppers,
	Yellow Peppers, Salt & Pepper		browns, tomatoes, green peppers,	salt, pepper
			salt, pepper
Snack	N/A	Fasting	N/A	N/A
Lunch	Chicken Salad	Fasting	1/2 pork chop	2 pieces of chicken
	Whole 30 Ranch		broccoli	Baked poatao with Ghee
			2 bites of baked potato with ghee
Snack	N/A	Fasting	N/A	N/A
Dinner	1/2 Steak - cold	Fasting	Other half of pork chop	Romaine lettuce with
	2 handfuls of pumpkin seeds		rest of baked potato with ghee	Whole 30 Ranch dressing
	(at Jeremy's baseball game)		handful of salted almonds
			(trying to finish up what I have)
Snack	N/A	Fasting	N/A	N/A
Exercise	Sit ups	Sit ups	Sit ups	Sit ups
	Push ups	Push ups	Push ups	Push ups
Water intake	12 glasses	18 glasses	15 glasses	17 glasses
Sleep	11:00 PM	10:15 PM	11:45 PM

[Brewer5]

@Mr. Greg how are you feeling, sir?  

[Mr. Greg]

Amazing.

And I've been getting compliments on how good I am looking... from people who see me regularly, and know I am losing. It's almost as though I made a major change.

Had some more leafy greens yesterday and today... kind of missing those earlier in the week. My first Whole 30 involved a LOT of salads!

 

So, to recap: No snacking. No Larabars. 3 meals per day. Pack your meal, (I do keep 2 Larabars in the truck as a Just in case.) and minimize the nut intake.

Oh, and LOG MY FOOD (to keep me on the straight and narrow and remind me what I am actually eating.)

[Mr. Greg]

Friday	Saturday	Sunday
4:30 AM	6:00 AM	6:30 AM
Eggs, tomatoes, green peppers,	Eggs, ground beef, green peppers,	Eggs, ground beef / chorizo,
tomatoes, italian seasoning, salt.	tomatoes, italian seasoning, salt.	green peppers, tomatoes,
		potatoes, italian seasoning, salt
N/A	N/A	N/A
Salad with: Romaine, broccoli,	1/2 steak	Pork chop
yellow peppers, cherry tomatoes,	Handful of grapes	Asparagus
almonds, and shrimp with
whole 30 ranch
N/A	N/A	N/A
Steak	1/2 steak	Taco salad: Iceberg, ground beef,
Salad: Romaine, Broccoli,	grapes	tomatoes, green chile,
Carrots, Yellow Peppers	pistachios	guacamole, sunflower seeds,
Whole 30 ranch.		jalapenos
N/A	N/A	N/A
Sit ups	Sit ups	Sit ups
Push ups	Push ups	Push ups
28 glasses	22 glasses	17 glasses
10:00 PM	10:00 PM	11:00 PM

[Mr. Greg]

@Brewer5 @SugarcubeOD

Thank you very much for the info. I weighed in today, and lost another 3.5 lbs this last week. (I know, I know...) which means that in the last 12 days I have lost 7 lbs. Aside from weighing once a month, I am sticking to the plan. And technically today would be the end of my 4th Whole 30: back to back to back to back. I am down 65.4 lbs.

I am grateful for the input.

 

My energy level is good. I feel good. I am logging my food daily. I eat when I am hungry, 3 meals a day with no snacks.

I can play with my kids again. Sit ups are easier. And I can actually do full push ups.

My edema is down even more, snoring level is going down, sleep apnea is gone.

My flexibility has increased, bloating is gone, and my step is light.

My shoes have become noticeably looser as the feet have become smaller due to the weight loss and other factors

 

Thank you for your insight,
Greg

[Brewer5]

@Mr. Greg ~ I am so happy to hear your great news.  

A couple of minor tweaks, and look where it's getting you.  Nothing crazy ~ not getting frustrated and giving up ~ just staying the course with perhaps a little more mindfulness.  Seriously, great work.

I want to add one more thing.   It's clear that you are invested in your family.  I want you to know that, while they may not recognize what you are doing right now (or at least not fully) ~ they will be able to appreciate it down the road.  

Kids are pretty wrapped up in themselves & their own lives.  And that continues as they grow older, spread their wings, and truly build a life of their own, with their own families and responsibilities.  

But there will be times when they just need to call Dad.   When they just really need your advice about something, or they just need you to listen.  

You are adding years onto your life right now.  Making the lifestyle changes you are making set the odds in your favor to extend that amount of time you will be there for your kids.  Grandkids.  Maybe even greats.   

I am close to 40 years old, my father is highly overweight, and has been for some time.  He also has sleep apnea.  He doesn't feel good.  He is having attacks of anxiety & high blood pressure that land him in the ER.  He is plagued with digestive problems.  Always.  He is still here with us, but not living life to its fullest.  Not by any means.  It is difficult for me to see & it is equally difficult to feel that my phone could ring any day with the news that he's dropped dead from a heart attack.

So I just wanted to share those thoughts today.  What you are doing right now is huge, and there are numerous benefits that are far-stretching, and some yet to be seen.  

Keep on rockin' your Whole 30 lifestyle, keep on posting here if it helps you ~ and if you run into any more snags ~ please tag me to be sure I see your post.

[Tarrantrl]

@Mr. Greg how's it going? I read this thread and found it very encouraging. And I bet you've made even more progress by now! I'd love to hear about that