Round two...

[Amyelizabeth1126]

I have gained 20lbs in the last four years. Only 5 feet tall so 20 lbs is kind of a lot. I have tried keto, beach body programs, weight watchers, etc but I could never stick to them. I completed my first whole30 in September. I felt amazing, but I didn’t loose any weight. I have been eating worse now then I did before I did my first whole30. I used to have no problem saying “no” to anything that made me feel bad but now, I am really struggling to make good choices. I am going to do another whole30 in January because I am desperate to find my food freedom and I want to feel good again but, I am also desperate to loose weight and worried I won’t have any luck this round either. Any advice on weight loss during the whole30? I know it’s not the primary goal for the whole30 but I need to find something to shed these pounds and I am hoping my food freedom ANd weight loss can be accomplished by the whole30. 

[Reese15]

I had to be careful not to snack out of anxiety/stress  or to eat too much in oils, nuts, nut butters, dried fruit/nut bars.  It's easy to overdo those high calorie items.  The first week I tried to follow recipes in the Whole30 book but I found the portion sizes too large and the recommended amount of oils/fats gave me heartburn.  I was overeating and felt uncomfortable.  By week 2, I was taking the recipes and making them into 3 or 4 servings and I felt much better.  I found if I set myself up for 4 meals a day, it worked better for me.  My last meal of the day  was always a homemade soup or chili.  I did find that by eating protein, vegies, and fruit at each meal, I was more satisfied and less likely to want to snack between meals.  

[ladyshanny]

On 12/23/2018 at 7:00 PM, Amyelizabeth1126 said:

I have gained 20lbs in the last four years. Only 5 feet tall so 20 lbs is kind of a lot. I have tried keto, beach body programs, weight watchers, etc but I could never stick to them. I completed my first whole30 in September. I felt amazing, but I didn’t loose any weight. I have been eating worse now then I did before I did my first whole30. I used to have no problem saying “no” to anything that made me feel bad but now, I am really struggling to make good choices. I am going to do another whole30 in January because I am desperate to find my food freedom and I want to feel good again but, I am also desperate to loose weight and worried I won’t have any luck this round either. Any advice on weight loss during the whole30? I know it’s not the primary goal for the whole30 but I need to find something to shed these pounds and I am hoping my food freedom ANd weight loss can be accomplished by the whole30. 

Hi, unfortunately we can't give any "hacks" for weight loss as that is not the point of the program. However I can say that weight loss comes when hormones are in balance. That includes hunger hormones, sex hormones and stress hormones. It is possible that in 30 days, depending on your current lifestyle and health background, that 30 days is enough to get the hormones starting to balance but perhaps not enough to get them to a point where your body feels comfortable releasing weight.

My recommendation would be to do the Whole30 as written, focussing on nourishing your body, getting large variety of micronutrients (eg, by diversifying your meals), hydrating and relaxing. If you stress over whether you're going to lose a pound or 7, you're really doing that hormonal balancing a disservice. You will never go wrong eating protein, veggies and some good fats - it just may take longer than you wish. Keep at it - do the reintroductions at the end and figure out what makes you feel your best.

[Seafarer]

On my Round 2, I kept going past the 30 days simply because my husband arrived home from working away for several months. I'm not good at "in moderations" (read "terrible") so, from fear of falling flat after 30 perfect days, I just kept on with my W30 until hubby & I were both over that initial celebratory mood... hosting family... visiting friends. I had been pleased with my results - solid energy, solid sleep, clear skin, good mood - and had had some weight loss to boot. But around about Day 40 there was magic. I started visibly dropping weight. So, just as LadyShanny says, relax, breathe, trust the process, wait. Don't starve yourself just to lose weight. Your end goal is to get your hormones in balance AND to find a way to keep them in balance for the long term... supporting you instead of fighting you. 

And yes, I totally get that your main goal is to lose weight. That was my main goal too when I first found W30. For me, two things will absolutely push me off the rails... dairy, and stress. Drink a glass of milk, and no matter what else I do that week (including starving) I will not lose a single solitary ounce. As for stress, you can read ISWF or any other reference, but stress will knock your hormones out of balance. For me, any little teeny tiny bit of stress (even if I am trying to fool myself into thinking I'm not stressed ) will cause weight gain. Darned hormones!

So yeah... work on your foundation & know that your body will eventually reward you with settling into wherever your unique and beautiful body was meant to be. And because you allowed your body to settle into a rhythm where you are both supporting each other, your new foundation will work for the long term.