Discouraged after my Whole30

[deonnek]

Hey everyone,

I did the Whole30 to the letter - no cheats or slips, embraced the philosophy in full. The good news is I'm quitting alcohol for good, which is HUGE. And I do feel better - no bloat, great energy, rings fit on the other hand now. :)

BUT. My weight has barely budged - two pounds lost - and the inches have barely diminished. This after unhealthy eating and snacking plus drinking a bottle of wine every day for months. (I know. It was definitely time to quit alcohol.)

I don't understand. I wasn't expecting to drop a ton, but I did expect more of a change. Clothes still don't fit right. UGH. Discouraged, though I'll keep it going because this way of nourishing myself makes intuitive sense, and like I said, some things have improved, which is great.

Is it just going to take me a lot longer? I haven't been doing any cardio (wasn't really before, either) but I have started a beginner Ashtanga yoga routine, which feels great.

Anyone else have this experience? Would love to hear how it's gone for you.

Thanks,

Deonne

[Foxc43]

I have been having this experience as well.  Posted something to the trouble shooting Whole 30 Forum. Waiting to hear back.  Wondering if I was eating too much fat or not enough of something. I feel great, have had some weight loss and like you I have no plans on eating any other way long term. But I did think I would lose more.  I have not jumped on the scale as I want to stick with it and if I do and the needle has not budged much I might just stick my head in a vat of chocolate! 

[ElainaR]

First, I am glad you are feeling better with no bloat and more energy! Those are definitely two NSVs (non-scale victories) to celebrate!!

Check out this Whole30 Article about Whole30 & Weight-loss: https://whole30.com/2012/10/the-whole30-and-weight-loss/

Try to focus on how great you're feeling rather than on the weight! It sounds like you've made great progress and have made some lifestyle changes-- That is worth celebrating!  One thing you may want to consider if you're still unhappy with your results is how much fruit (fresh & dried) and nuts/nut butters you're eating.  These are sometimes "foods with no brakes." Also, keep in mind that weight is impacted by many other lifestyle factors such as quality of sleep and stress.

As far as exercising, I personally prefer to focus and measure my progress based on my strength, agility, and endurance!

[deonnek]

Thanks for the responses! @Foxc43, sounds like you and I are in the same boat. I'd be curious if you hear anything that we need to change up, so please let me know.

And @ElainaR, you're absolutely right about the NSVs. I'm grateful. And the fact that this feels like lifestyle changes versus temporary habits to finish the program is huge. The article was great, thanks, and I'll try not to be discouraged about my sloooooow progress in the body change department. I honestly don't care about the number on the scale, but my clothes are tight, which bums me out.

I only have a little fruit with breakfast, and I'm not eating a lot of nuts or nut butters since I could eat them all day long, ha. Feeling pretty peaceful these days, doing a lot of inner work as well, and sleep has been fine. I'm with you on exercise - the Ashtanga is making me feel stronger and more agile, which is exciting.

So - onward. Maybe the best thing is I'm figuring out what my body likes (and doesn't - gluten and dairy, for sure) and I'll continue to nourish myself, body and soul. I hope you two are doing the same.  

Deonne

 

 

 

[ElainaR]

22 hours ago, deonnek said:

The article was great, thanks, and I'll try not to be discouraged about my sloooooow progress in the body change department. I honestly don't care about the number on the scale, but my clothes are tight, which bums me out.

@deonnek I started a boot camp back in March and that was the first time in probably over 7 years that my body composition changed! I really had to switch up my workouts and start lifting weights to see progress.  Everyone is different but that's what worked for me!