day 31

[Benjamin Shine]

My first whole30 is over tomorrow. It has been amazing. This isn't my summary-of-experiences post, though. This is, what do I do on day 31?

My performance in the gym has gotten better. My recovery has gotten better. Itchy skin patches have gotten better; that's what tells me that something I'm doing had been irritating my immune system.

But I still have a bit of eczema on my upper arms, and the itchy spots on my hands are still there, but lots smaller and less itchy. I have autoimmune thyroiditis, so I'm considering trying some time without nightshades or eggs.. but jeez, nightshades and eggs are some of my favorite foods that are *left* to me when I'm eating strict paleo.

I'm looking forward to getting on the scale and measuring my waist for the first time in 30 days... but I'm *really* looking forward to trying some dairy and seeing how I feel.

My gym is starting a 30-day paleo challenge on June 8th, and I'm signed up for that, They want us to be dairy free; I haven't decided yet whether I want to be dairy free for another 30 days.

Can I start having chocolate again? Really good dark chocolate in small quantities?

The structure of the Whole30 was great for me, and I don't know how to structure my way-of-eating when the 30 days are over.

Background: I'm 5'2", male, 180 lbs when I started, but with ~145 pounds of lean body mass -- I am a strong little dude; my ideal weight is probably around 155. I'd been eating strictly gluten free but with lots of dairy, occasional rice and corn as a treat, and some sweets (usually chocolate) just about every day. Also occasional soy, and I hadn't been paying any attention to what fats were in my food. So something I changed improved my skin and made my clothes fit better; I just don't know what.

Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated.

-benji

[Johnny M]

Benji - There's not much I can say that isn't nicely explained here. Take a look and let us know what you think

http://whole9life.com/2012/01/ride-your-own-bike-2/

You may find you don't tolerate some of the things you want to re-add well. I tried dairy and first I got really itchy. The second time I tried to re-add it I got really itchy then missed half a day of work to hang out in the bathroom.

[Johnny M]

oh and...CONGRATS!

[Benjamin Shine]

Johnny & Melissa & Dallas thank you for pointing me to that post. That's exactly what I needed to read.

For details of how my Whole30 worked out, and what I think about it, please take a look at this thread:

http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/326-benji-works-harder/page__view__findpost__p__4311

I'm confused about what to do next, and disappointed by my lack of weight loss.

[TheLazyCaveman]

I didn't see any mention of starchy carbs in either of your posts. Are you hitting those post-CrossFit? It's an absolute must, as constant low-carb glycolytic activity is a good way to fry your adrenals.

That's awesome that you've lost so much weight already. Remember, weight loss isn't a linear game, and it takes a stupid amount of patience to reach your goals.

With regards to your sleep, I'm not sure how it can be both awesome and you're getting up multiple times a night to pee. Seems like a contradiction to me.

I would absolutely encourage you to reach out to a professional to get help going the rest of the way. We can make recommendations for you, but I with the medications you're already on, I don't want to suggest anything that might send you the wrong way. You can use this tool to find someone in SF: http://paleophysiciansnetwork.com/