Lorna from Canada Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 Is it weird that I'm about to write that I expected more than I received but, at the same time, I'm extending to a W40? Maybe because I received things I didn't expect? Let's dump this here and find out. I was expecting miracles to be honest - and, I actually received a few! The one thing I was really, really, REALLY hoping is that my 10 year battle with SI Joint pain would be over. Ya ya, I know - talk about a dreamer! I'm a long distance runner and I've had chronic hip pain from my SI joint for 10 years. I have an amazing Physiotherapist, Personal Trainer and Psychologist on my team. I have glutes and core of steel but, still so much pain! It started from a foot problem as a compensatory injury and things have cascaded around it for years. It doesn't slow me down much - last summer I backpacked the 70km Pukaskwa Coastal Trail - often ranked in any list as one of Canada's top 3 hardest trails - and Canada is no slouch in the challenging trails department. ANYWAY - I digress. It doesn't slow me down that much but, well, that's not really true. This year, it has started to slow me down alot. I finally got some surgery for my foot and everything has gone haywire since. So, while my body has been falling apart over the past 6 months, I've been focussing on my SI joint and was really, really, REALLY hoping that W30 would magically whisk it away. It didn't. I was also hoping I'd get some relief from my 6 year battle with plantar fasciitis. Ditto the long story above. I have had some resolution there - mind you, I have also been out of the gym since October so, there could be some correlation there BUT, right now, when I get up in the morning, I don't hopscotch my way to the bathroom cursing myself for leaving my Birkenstocks at the bedside. So - fingers crossed. Returning to the gym next week... I'll keep you posted. I was expecting Tiger Blood - mostly though, I don't think I knew what that meant. I have way more energy but it's mostly showing up as motivation. I don't feel so much like I NEED that coffee or time to relax on the couch. I can keep going with whatever I am doing without needing to sit down for an hour mid afternoon - oh, who am I kidding - without having to nap every afternoon. Tuesday I had a jam packed schedule with much physical activity and running around and I didn't flag for a moment. Wednesday, I woke up with a rare headache and slept all afternoon. That could have been related to the weather - we had rapidly changing barometric pressure here and that can mess with my head. So - tiger Blood? Not sure - jury is still out on that one. I did NOT expect the vast improvement in sleep quality. I haven't slept this well in decades. I wake up at 3 AM and, still tired, roll over and go back to sleep. Typically, I wake up at 3 and sometimes that is it for the night. I am getting so much solid sleep, what a delight! I really love that the most. I did NOT expect to lose weight. The last time I lost weight was a couple of years ago when I realized menopause was causing weight gain. I ate 900 kcals/day and lost less than 1lb per week for 3 months. It was AWFUL. Imagine my surprise to feel the weight fall off these past 4 weeks. I have no idea what the number is - I can feel it - my pants are baggy, my bra is baggy (why Lord? Why are they the first to go??), I'm using a notch in my belt I haven't see for 3 years. I feel like I am eating like a horse! I haven't measured the calories in my meals but, this is WAY more that 900 of them, I can assure you that. I did not expect to feel as awful as I did for the first 24 days - bowel spasms, heart burn, headaches, asthma trouble, constipation - oh, let's talk about that (where's that poop emoji when you need it?) I have suffered from IBS with constipation since 1978. As per conventional wisdom, I was told I would always need increased fibre so, for the past 15 years, I have been consuming approximately 65gm of fibre per day. That is twice the RDA for adults. That much fibre can interfere with absorption - and I was getting it mostly from bran, psyllium and fruits, vegetable. For my first week on W30, I was in agony - several bowel spasms (death by cramping), severe nausea and stomach discomfort, and, no BMs. By week 2, it started to move again. Now, I am perfectly and delightedly regular. No more gas either - that's relief for everyone around me. Such a surprise! What else? Hmm - I simply feel better and more in control. I have generally improved mental health - no depression or anxiety - I'm managing my emotions better. I feel like some super charged version of myself - like I could accomplish anything. It's a very general statement but so true! This Whole30 thing has some serious chops. I'm adding 10 days to help me get over my jetlag next week - I know I'm probably avoiding re-introduction as well. I don't want to discover that wine caused all my problems That would be a hard one to process. Still - on to the rest of my life... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lauraco Posted February 10, 2019 Share Posted February 10, 2019 Hi Lorna - thank you for your post! I'm on day 14 of my first Whole30 and am loving reading the blogs that talk about life, fitting it in, experiences and recipes. Yours was so helpful. I wondered if anyone would talk about the "output" aspect of things, as we women all seem to have those issues. I have found that this program has made me very regular. Something I did not expect AT ALL, especially in the first couple of weeks, and am embarrassed to say, that it's kind of like a funny old person greeting card, one that jokes that when you get older, sometimes a good BM is just the best thing ever I take probiotics every day, and have for years. They have helped me with most of the constipation issues I used to have. Thought I would throw that out there in case you wanted to try them. One of my primary reasons for doing Whole30 is to see if it will reduce pain from inflammation. I have osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis everywhere, surgery scars, bone degradation due to radiation, and lymphedema in my leg. The pain really limits my activities, because it hurts to stand, walk, vacuum, chop vegetables, wash dishes, etc., let alone go on a hike. I've have this for about 10 years. So I'm with you in hoping for that miracle! And I really want to lose weight. I feel like I'm eating a lot, though. Hopefully it is the right stuff, and my metabolism will change. WW drove me nuts with all of the counting, plus I barely lost weight, so easily tired of it. I think I'm sleeping better and having more energy, or I should say, less fatigue, but it's only been two weeks, so we'll see. I would LOVE to lose my boobs, so I hope that happens to me Thanks for writing your story. It's nice to find people going through similar things. Laura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorna from Canada Posted March 8, 2019 Author Share Posted March 8, 2019 @Lauraco I don't know how I missed your post until now but I want you to know I appreciate it! You're in re-intro now - how's it going? Lorna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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