Day 27 and full of doubts

[justalittledash]

I'm on day 27 and I'm plagued by doubt about the program helping me.  I was hoping it would help with my skin (lifelong acne) but it hasn't yet.  I'm terrified I'll be in the 3% of people who gain weight on this program.  My clothing is tighter than before I started.  My digestion and energy level are still giving me issues.  I've been taking a gymnastics class since September but this last month it feels like my flexibility has decreased.

I'm so tired of trying things that work for everyone else and being told I must be the exception that doesn't work. 

[kirbz]

I'm so sorry to hear that you haven't found what you're looking for! That's a very tough place to be after so much hard work. 

I'm sure the first thing that the moderators will ask for is a sample of what you've been eating the last few days, with as much detail as possible (portion sizes, etc.).  Perhaps there are some minor changes that could be recommended to help you get the most out of the program!

I wish you the very best! 

[justalittledash]

Every morning I eat 2-3 eggs cooked in ghee with chopped vegetables such as spinach, zucchini, onion, peppers.  Sometimes add 1/2 cup of meat.  Usually a piece of fruit.

Lunch is a palm sized amount of meat or fish with 2 cups of cooked vegetables or 1 cup vegetable and 1 cup potatoes (usually leftovers) topped with ghee or 4 cups salad with homemade ranch.  Also a serving of fruit.

Supper is a palm-sized piece of meat and usually 3 different vegetables, usually roasted or sauteed in olive oil, and topped with ghee.

If I snack, not every day, it is usually raw veggies with ranch, or a bit of meat or nuts with fruit.

My work schedule varies, it's usually 6am-4pm, but some days it is 12pm-10pm. I'm on my feet walking or carrying stuff all day.  I drink only water and only in-between meals, usually 6-8 large glasses per day.

[NJdieter]

I was in the same boat as you for a long time. I also walk ~5 miles 5 days/week as part of my commute and try to do some kind of cardio on the weekends. My athletic performance definitely suffered while on whole30. I don’t know how much weight you had to lose to begin with but while most diets will be helpful for those who need to lose a lot of weight, those that don’t need to work a lot harder for those last 10 lbs.

I finally worked out a compromise that seemed to at least stem the weight gain. No one is going to like this answer but this is what I found worked for me:

1. I can only eat 2 “whole30” meals/day (breakfast and dinner), not 3. Otherwise it is just too many calories, and no matter what people say calories do matter when it comes to gaining or losing weight. I consulted with a nutritionist and she said that unless you go on an extremely calorie restricted diet skipping lunches won’t kill your metabolism.
2. I can cook with fat (eg roasted veggies) but I can’t add much extra fat unless what I am eating is very lean. Again, it’s just too many calories that aren’t necessary. I can’t imagine eating a lot of full fat coconut milk, for example, even if I will put the reduced fat stuff in curries. Think about it - nuts are bad but full fat coconut milk is fine? Does that make sense to you?
3. Fresh fruit is fine in moderation. No one gets fat by eating an apple or two.
4. Whole30 will change your relationship with food and not always in a healthy way. I definitely became fearful of what I was eating and it took a lot of the joy out of life. On the other hand I now eat more cauliflower rice than I ever thought would be possible and actually enjoy it as much as plain rice.
5. The other thing to be wary of is how your body reacts to foods once you reintroduce them. Let’s just say that I have developed sensitivities to things that were never problematic in the past.

It is so frustrating when you make this big effort and it feels like it was all for naught. Good luck!

[justalittledash]

I'm 5'3" and 155 so I definitely have some extra that can go.  And though I've always eaten home-cooked meals with tons on veggies, before this my snacking on chips and chocolate was getting out of hand.  So even just by cutting out the junk I expected some results.

[NJdieter]

Chocolate is pretty awesome.

In all seriousness, I wonder if you have inadvertently replaced the snacking calories with fat calories. That might explain why you aren’t having success.

I switched to 2 meals/day because I found that I had to eat so much just to be satisfied, so the calories were adding up. Even now I feel like I could keep eating once I finish my breakfast and there are days (like today, for example) when dinner is a long way off. Yet intellectually I know I had a whole piece of chicken with a little guacamole and enough cauliflower rice and roasted asparagus to fill a 3c container, plus an apple afterwards. It probably doesn’t help that work is annoying me today.

[justalittledash]

Exactly. I feel like I'm eating until I'm stuffed because it needs to last me until my next meal, though I'm usually stuffed with vegetables.  And I still feel hungry between meals.

But I find that everything I read here when people hit roadblocks is "Eat more.  You aren't eating enough.  If you eat more you'll feel better and have success."

And on chocolate... I can get a 100% pure Arcana chocolate bar that is smooth as silk and so satisfying with just a tiny piece.  Technically Whole30 compliant ingredients but not in the spirit of a reset.

[NJdieter]

I guess “eat more” works for some people. I just know that for me it didn’t work. I ended up in pant sizes larger for a while. Also I never really felt bad craving-wise, never bad issues in the beginning etc. I just gained weight.