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3rd whole 30 and STILL not losing weight - what am I doing wrong?


LA28

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Puffycookie, that was an excellent post. Thanks for giving me something to think about. Dissatisfaction with my body has always been an issue for me, despite the many wonderful things my body can do.

LA28, I'm with you. Although I'm mainly doing this to feel better and make better food choices, I too would be disappointed if I didn't lose some pounds. At a certain age they just keep creeping on and they're very, very hard to get rid of. That said, I feel great (on day 9). I feel light, I feel less bloated, and feel like my GI system is working as it should. That alone is worth it. But still...

Also: STOP weighing yourself! You've lost 3 inches from your waist, your body fat is down. That's amazing!

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LA28, for an in-depth explanation, look at some of Gary Taubes books (Why We Get Fat, Good Calories, Bad Calories). They are very interesting reads and explain both the history and the process.

I'll echo what has been said:

Be kind to yourself: your body, your mind, and your soul

Eat more of everything (within the Whole30), including carbs

Throw your scale off a cliff

Let your body rest

Here's my short story: I was the classic high-cardio, workout six days per week, count and log every single calorie female. I was also chronically tired, generally 10-20lbs overweight, and every year had the goal of being able to do one kipping pull-up.

I started the Whole30, backed off to only walking (with my dogs who stop every three feet)... suddenly my weight went down and my energy went way up! AND one day at a playground, I was fooling around and realized that I could suddenly do pull-ups!

Good luck. This is a mind shifting process. :) You can do it.

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you should totally give renee's recommendation a try. I was doing intense exercise 5x's a week for months while restricting calories. I lost a little weight but was miserable. I took 2 weeks off and dropped weight. Then I did a whole30 and did not exercise ONCE the entire month. I lost substantial weight. I was shocked. I'm not recommending stopping all of your physical activity. I think crossfit/high-intensity is great, but it is SO easy to overdo it.

Good luck! :)

I am so glad to have found this topic and this post. I have been wondering about this myself. I am a beach body fanatic and have been rotating through P90X, insanity, chalean, turbofire, and a lot of running, for about 4 1/2 years now. I lost weight at first but not recently and never really got the results I was looking for. Anyway, I have been wondering if I should just stop it all or just do yoga and walking while on my whole 30 and see what happens. I'm in week 2 and really not feeling like I want to do the crazy stuff 6 days a week anymore. I'll have to give the comment here some more thought . . .

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I am so glad to have found this topic and this post. I have been wondering about this myself. I am a beach body fanatic and have been rotating through P90X, insanity, chalean, turbofire, and a lot of running, for about 4 1/2 years now. I lost weight at first but not recently and never really got the results I was looking for. Anyway, I have been wondering if I should just stop it all or just do yoga and walking while on my whole 30 and see what happens. I'm in week 2 and really not feeling like I want to do the crazy stuff 6 days a week anymore. I'll have to give the comment here some more thought . . .

I'm a beachbody fanatic too plus a runner. It's my first Whole 30, day 9. I've taken it easy with my workouts, added yoga trying to. Thanks for your post, curious what they suggest.

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I am overwhelmed with all the responses:) thank you so much! I am an analytical thinker and just needed to understand I guess, the sciency version of how it could be possible to slow down - yet still lose. What you have explained makes sense and I will definitely tone things down and try to incorporate all your suggestions and above all stress less! It is afterall, the one thing I haven't tried yet:)

You're going in the right direction!!! It's such a hard concept, I totally get it! Through caloric restriction (seriously, I aimed for 1400 calories) and HIIT/CrossFitting 4-5 times a week, plus extra lifting and a bit of cardio, I did lose weight. For about a week. Until my body went into preservation mode, and I gained weight, body fat, and inches. In an effort to "lose the weight," I punished myself by going further, harder, longer with my workouts and restricting my carbs to 30g/day pushing myself into severe ketogenisis. This whole process took 4 months.

I stopped weighing myself at that point because my pants kept getting tighter, my developing abs disappeared, and I started getting nagging injuries. And I got so strung out into adrenal fatigue, I wasn't sleeping well and went into the busy season with my job (I'm a self employed wedding photographer) that way.

Finally, I was so fatigued and broken, I ran a red light and had an accident because I was simply zoning. No texting or anything. And then my body shut down. Depression, physical ailments, joint/muscle injuries, weight gain, even hysteria a few times from the changes in my body. I couldn't work out for month.

6 months later, today: I gave up CrossFitting for a deadlifting/strength program which my body is loving me for. I still miss sprinting-incline intervals, but my body doesn't. And I'm about as lean (finally!!) as I was a year ago, before everything happened.

I'm still not cleared for pushups because it jacks my shoulders up and gives me migraines, which I haven't had in a month now. But I can do pullups and toes to bar with a modified grip. My nagging hip thing *still* isn't cleared, but my chiro/sports & recond. specialist is working on it to the point where my squat weight is back up to where it was a year ago. And my hamstring tendonitis, which is the first major injury I received almost a year ago, has minimal time left with the rehab protocol.

My body forced me to take a step back and heal. It was brutal.

My pants still don't fit, but that's cause I'm a deadlifitng machine. ;) Time to get new pants. And I'm okay with that because skinny-fat girls can take their skinny jeans and muffin top, sit on my bar, and I'll lift them up.

And honestly, like everyone is saying... Start noticing and paying really close attention to your workouts and your performance, stamina, attitude, etc. Notice your skin, hotice your jeans getting looser, or heck, even notice the cellulite (hey, we ALL have it, right?? ;)) start disappearing. Let THOSE be your benchmarks. Weight is nothing.

Please pardon the rambling story, but your story really touched me... let yourself rest before it's too late! The W30 is a perfect time to do that. :)

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You're going in the right direction!!! It's such a hard concept, I totally get it! Through caloric restriction (seriously, I aimed for 1400 calories) and HIIT/CrossFitting 4-5 times a week, plus extra lifting and a bit of cardio, I did lose weight. For about a week. Until my body went into preservation mode, and I gained weight, body fat, and inches. In an effort to "lose the weight," I punished myself by going further, harder, longer with my workouts and restricting my carbs to 30g/day pushing myself into severe ketogenisis. This whole process took 4 months.

I stopped weighing myself at that point because my pants kept getting tighter, my developing abs disappeared, and I started getting nagging injuries. And I got so strung out into adrenal fatigue, I wasn't sleeping well and went into the busy season with my job (I'm a self employed wedding photographer) that way.

Finally, I was so fatigued and broken, I ran a red light and had an accident because I was simply zoning. No texting or anything. And then my body shut down. Depression, physical ailments, joint/muscle injuries, weight gain, even hysteria a few times from the changes in my body. I couldn't work out for month.

6 months later, today: I gave up CrossFitting for a deadlifting/strength program which my body is loving me for. I still miss sprinting-incline intervals, but my body doesn't. And I'm about as lean (finally!!) as I was a year ago, before everything happened.

I'm still not cleared for pushups because it jacks my shoulders up and gives me migraines, which I haven't had in a month now. But I can do pullups and toes to bar with a modified grip. My nagging hip thing *still* isn't cleared, but my chiro/sports & recond. specialist is working on it to the point where my squat weight is back up to where it was a year ago. And my hamstring tendonitis, which is the first major injury I received almost a year ago, has minimal time left with the rehab protocol.

My body forced me to take a step back and heal. It was brutal.

My pants still don't fit, but that's cause I'm a deadlifitng machine. ;) Time to get new pants. And I'm okay with that because skinny-fat girls can take their skinny jeans and muffin top, sit on my bar, and I'll lift them up.

And honestly, like everyone is saying... Start noticing and paying really close attention to your workouts and your performance, stamina, attitude, etc. Notice your skin, hotice your jeans getting looser, or heck, even notice the cellulite (hey, we ALL have it, right?? ;)) start disappearing. Let THOSE be your benchmarks. Weight is nothing.

Please pardon the rambling story, but your story really touched me... let yourself rest before it's too late! The W30 is a perfect time to do that. :)

I LOVED THIS POST!!!! <3

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I'm not an experienced Whole30er and have never set foot in a gym (blush) but to me it sounds like you just need to be patient. You're only 10 days or so into this round, and you said in your last whole30 you dropped 5 pounds in the extra 10 days at the end. Maybe your body just takes a bit longer to switch gears into weight loss mode. Don't panic yet :)

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This is all great stuff ! I have been through a lot of what is talked about here. I am still coming to grips with loving myself how I am- and I have two beautiful daughters that I want to NEVER have to go through the mental sh*t I have put myself through for the past so many years. Finally on this Whole 100 (looking to get rid of the sugar dragon dude) I have committed to myself to exercise in some capacity every day- walk, or run, bike, lift weights. But not crazy and not something I would not want to or be able to do a year from now. Or the next. or the next. I am looking for overall good habits in that department- and just feeling good.

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Another sciencey explanation that works for me.... is that overtraining or training at high heart rates or lots of weight training increases your body's inflammatory response (building muscle is your body repairing damage and trying to prevent future damage after all). When your body is managing inflammation your adrenal system gets fatigued and all your hormonal processes for burning fat/controlling appetite/storing and releasing energy/maintaining glycogen levels etc get disrupted. So you cant lose weight and often you cant even maintain the same performance...... see sock-doc.com for more info if you would like, I found whole9 coming from there.

I did my first whole30 as I had gained about 10 lbs of fat last year despite lots of exercise and keeping a fairly similar diet.... I felt hungry and agitated and thirsty all the time, my body couldnt burn fat and was only getting energy from blood sugar from foods.

I stopped high cardio and weights for 3 months (kept up boxing and yoga) and did a whole30, then did a one-off boot camp and could do a 50bar monkey bar no probs ... I was sooo much stronger and also leaner!

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Hi all, I am reading through this thread and while logically the explanation of overtraining makes sense to me, I don't remember reading it in ISWF... Is there somewhere where I could read this info? Like I said, logically it makes sense, just like to read the actual science :) thanks for all the info, though!!!

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Just wanted to chime in :)

I completed my first Whole30 back in October after 2 years of NO BUDGING on the scale even counting every single calorie and working out HARD 5-6 times a week with yoga thrown in for good measure. I decided to do the Whole30 to see what could happen since obviously what I was doing only got me so far (15lbs lost but plateau for 9ish months)

I worked out 2x a week but with much less intensity (more yoga) and followed the meal plan to a T. Guess what? I lost 8lbs!!!! AND I dropped two pants sizes, looked WAY more toned and felt better than I ever had in my life.

Guess who went paleo, quit cardio-obsessing, and is back for another Whole45? This girl.

I promise it works, but you have to stop obsessing about your weight, the scale, and give it 30 days of maybe not working out at all to see what can happen. The worst thing is you lose 16 crossfit sessions... right?

Good luck!

Luv this! Just curious, are you still doing yoga?

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Don't forget muscle weighs more than fat, so numbers are not going to move a lot if you're working out a lot. If you want a really accurate body composition, get a DEXA scan. Useful for measuring your lean body mass (if yours is higher than average, you may require more protein).

I lost a lot of weight by eating more, don't get hung up on calories-in, calories out (although calories do matter). Lack of calories creates stress in the body, eat regularly (even if your schedule isn't regular) and sleep regularly. Stress will stop you losing, even if everything else is working well, ask anyone taking cortisol medication, your body can produce it 24x7 if it's not happy.

Don't be so afraid of fruit, add in some berries (raspberries, blueberries) and eat them with your meals, including vegetables, fat & protein. Eating fruit on it's own will give you more of a spike, so have it with other things to reduce the impact if you're sensitive. They have great antioxidants too, which fight inflammation and stress. Cammomile Tea might be good for you too.

If you consume a lot of caffiene, try eliminating it, I saw a huge change when I cut out all caffiene (it can trigger stress response and even blood sugar spikes in some people). I added back in 1-2 cups coffee later, but went without for a couple of months to slay the caffiene dragon.

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Just a brief update. I've been doing the 2 times crossfit and did one day of gentle yoga, and one day of just walking the dog for an hour and I've gained an inch around my waist unfortunately and gained 2 lbs. I know it takes time and I shouldn't weigh myself, but I felt like my jeans were getting tighter and wanted to see. I've also started taking fish oil because I did some research and found out it can really help with cortisol levels. I've read the same with Vitamin C but haven't tried that yet.

I have added back in berries and sweet potatoes as well and I try to drink a calming tea every night to take away any stress. I've also been taking natural calm at night to try to get more restful sleep.

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Apologies in advance for being harsh, but....Throw the scale away! Get rid of that measuring tape! You're trading one random number (calories) for another (the number on the scale), and it's going to make you crazy. Seriously, get rid of them. You are strong enough to know how you feel without being told by a machine. What is it someone called it -- "the mechanical instrument of doom"? Something like that. It's true.

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I know I am gaining weight at the moment on my second whole* but that's why I m doing a second whole* and for 100 days this time... No not to gain weight... But because I know 30 days wasn't enough to reset and heal the imbalances. I don't think I will end up a higher weight after 100 days... But if I do that will be an interesting reflection of what it means to my body to be healthy I guess... At least there won't be any crap in it!

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I know for myself in the past when I really restricted carbs, increased exercise & increased obsessive love of all things that measure "progress" would almost always stall eventually. The way I look at it now is the this life style is about healing the body, it won't happen overnight, or maybe even over a year.

Previous damage was done, despite your current lifestyle. If you had gone through a major bodily trauma like a car accident or surgery or a long illness you would need to be kind to your body to heal. You would have to slow down! You may even have to stop for the healing to proceed. Your doctor would never suggest food restriction and excess exercise to induce healing.

I have never been an exercise fanatic or driven by the desire of intense workouts. I do know, however, that it can be addictive for some. Which is mean to the body. I would strongly encourage you to do as others suggested, quit cross fit for a few weeks, hide your scale and your tape measure. More gentle yoga, more walking with your dogs, maybe add some meditation or guided meditation.

I truly hope that your fears can be calmed. Please remember that life and health are a process, not a race.

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Another thing to remember is that the Whole30 is not a weight loss plan. It's designed to help you eliminate less healthy foods from your diet and allow your body to heal from years of 'less healthy' choices. Many people also lose weight - particularly if they were eating a Standard American Diet. If you stick with the plan through the end of your 30 days and you are not content with your body composition perhaps you may want to think about contacting one of the Whole9 consultants to work up a personal plan for you based on your personal goals. Most will take many lifestyle components into consideration - not just diet. It's an investment, but if it gets you the results you want it will be a worthwhile one.

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If what many of you are suggesting is true, then why are there so many crossfitters that lift/train hard every single day and are in amazing shape? I understand they may be setting themselves up for a lifetime of mobility issues. However, wouldn't their cortisol be through the roof and their metabolisms at a crawl? There are plenty of people that have "stressed" their systems for years and remain very "fit." I have done 3 Whole30's (I am on Day 16 of the third now). The first one was the only time I had any significant fat loss. And that was when I was training twice a day most days. Crossfit and a bootcamp. Since I've cut back training to 3 times per week plus yoga, weight (fat) doesn't budge.

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If what many of you are suggesting is true, then why are there so many crossfitters that lift/train hard every single day and are in amazing shape? I understand they may be setting themselves up for a lifetime of mobility issues. However, wouldn't their cortisol be through the roof and their metabolisms at a crawl? There are plenty of people that have "stressed" their systems for years and remain very "fit." I have done 3 Whole30's (I am on Day 16 of the third now). The first one was the only time I had any significant fat loss. And that was when I was training twice a day most days. Crossfit and a bootcamp. Since I've cut back training to 3 times per week plus yoga, weight (fat) doesn't budge.

Some people are genetically gifted. They shine in the gym and do amazing things. If average people follow their example, they do not get the same results. And what works at one age does not work throughout your life span. I had to stop doing CrossFit because, even though my 55 year old body looks young, my shoulders and elbows cannot cope with the strain of what would have been okay for me 25 years ago.

Just because something has worked for one person does not mean that approach is good for most people. The reason personal consultations with an expert can be valuable is because there are lots of variables that matter and it is difficult to discover all the relevant variables through a message board. I reduced my body fat percent from something in the 20s to something around 9 percent while working out moderately hard three times per week (except for the weeks where I only trained twice).

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Aside from genetics and age, many of the top Crossfitters are dedicated athletes, or students. They don't have added stressors of another job. Our bodies can handle only a couple of sources of stress before going off the rails.

These athletes eat like a horse, sleep like a log, and have everything else dialed in.

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Sock-doc.com has lots of great articles discussing how many people are fit but not healthy.... Many endurance or hardcore athletes are fit with no external symptoms but autopsies on the ones that have died early reveal heart muscle scarring from overstressing etc... The primal blueprint is light to moderate general exercise and 2-3 short intense burst sessions.. Which is pretty much what Tom describes.

Since I've stopped boot camp and weight style classes and switched to slow cardio and yoga and Pilates my strength has increased dramatically ( as measured by monkey bars and pushups) and I never have to feel sore after a workout either!

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Just because something has worked for one person does not mean that approach is good for most people. The reason personal consultations with an expert can be valuable is because there are lots of variables that matter and it is difficult to discover all the relevant variables through a message board. I reduced my body fat percent from something in the 20s to something around 9 percent while working out moderately hard three times per week (except for the weeks where I only trained twice).

I am on Day 21 and am struggling to get into my fat jeans... good things are changing in my arthritis and pain levels, but not so good changes in my body composition. How does one go about getting a personal consultation??

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