Not Feeling Healthy

[melody]

Last night my husband was eating corn chips in the evening and I was really tempted to have some. But I didn't eat them. Instead I "cheated" and ate a bowl of blueberries with coconut milk, spice, and pistachios. It was a total SWYPN dessert.

I've never been a dieter, so the whole concept of cheating is a new thought pattern that for me that only began when I started Whole30. I find the whole SWYPN concept a bit odd, but I felt totally guilty while I was eating the berries last night. The only other time in my life when I can remember feeling guilty for anything I've eaten in my life was when I was a child and snuck cookies that weren't meant for me. But that's a different type of guilt.

I found myself mentally beating myself up today for the "cheat" last night. Not a good feeling. And also not what I think Whole30 is really supposed to be about.

I started Whole30 to eat a cleaner diet and feel healthier. But so far I haven't felt healthier. Yes, I have had sustained energy and (for the most part) haven't felt a need to snack. That part I love. And my sleep seems to be a bit better. But for the past week or two I've been grumpy, irritable, and non-stop cranky. Totally not like me at all. I still can't fit into my normal pants (had gone up a size before starting this). My digestion isn't working so well--I've been cramping & constipated almost as if I had eaten gluten (Which I haven't).

I really want this program to work for me and I'm not sure why it's not. I'm on Day20 and know it takes longer for some people, I get that, but is it normal for things to get a whole lot worse?

[Robin Strathdee]

Hi Melody!

First of all, don't beat yourself up. No need to feel guilty or ashamed. Do we discourage random snacking? Yeah. But it's not a rule - more of a best practices - and we've all done it.

Everyone experiences their Whole30 differently, and for some the crankiness comes in the middle of the program. It's not carb/sugar/whatever withdrawal; for many it seems to be a frustration at the lack of (insert desired result here). Let's take a second to focus on some parts of your life that ARE healthier: more and sustained energy, satiation between meals, and better sleep. That's awesome!

Now, we can begin to troubleshoot your experience and see if there's something that can be done to change things for you. Do you have a food log you can point us to?

[melody]

Hi Robin,

Yes, my log is here: http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/5582-melodys-whole30-start-12/page__fromsearch__1

[melody]

Been having trouble sleeping again...Had a late work night that kind of threw me into the staying up late & waking up late path again. Unfortunately those are par for the course.

My back's been really itchy and I looked in the mirror today and I have a big rash across my upper back. My face (which is normally super smooth complexion) is all ruddy around my lower jaw on one side.

I'm starting to wonder if I might unknowingly have an allergy to something I've been eating? From what I've been reading I'm wondering if I should avoid eggs for a few days to test it out. Although I'm really not fond of the idea of replacing eggs with more meat.

It's Day 25. I really could use some of that Tiger Blood everyone's always talking about right about now!!

[Emily]

Sorry to hear that you are struggling. If you have been eating more eggs than in the past it might be a good idea to lay off them and see what happens.

My sleep in often interrupted because of my job too--once or twice a week I often sleep for 2-4 hours, have to get up somewhere between 1am and 4am, and then try to go back to sleep. It really messes with my energy and my moods. At least I've learned not to believe my down/sad feelings on these days too much... now I tell myself that once I get some sleep things will look better!

I don't have many suggestions for you; hang in there and keep working on yourself. Day by day.