Amazing Results - But Body Fat Didn't Change.

[Coach Deb P]

Hi -

This is my first post on the Whole9 Forum.

I've recently completed a 90 Day Whole9 Challenge. Actually it ended up being 98 days, and quite frankly, I believe this will be my new life.

This was my second time doing a "paleo" challenge. I did a 30 day in January 2012, and it changed me in a pretty profound way, then I did the classic "I'll eat paleo 90% of the time" for the next 7 months.

Of course at that time, I hadn't read It Starts with Food, and didn't understand the concept that "if you're allergic to cats and you have 10 cats in the house then get rid of 8, you'll feel better. But until you get rid of the last 2 cats, you'll never really know how good you can be".

So, I started the Whole9 program in October of 2012.

Straight upfront, I made one conscious choice to still have cream in my coffee every day, and I drink usually 2 cups/day (of coffee that is! )

Other than that, I ate clean. Not one slip up. Nada, nothing. I was on top of my nutrition and training. And it paid off in some weight lost, strength gained, and increased performance in the gym - EXCEPT -

I didn't lose any body fat at all. Maybe I didn't have a realistic expectation to begin with, but I am absolutely appalled that my body fat for the most part didn't change at all. In fact, my body fat is very high and I can't wrap my brain around why it didn't change. For the most part it's exactly where it was a year ago. I followed the program faithfully.

It was so discouraging to see other people who did the challenge come out with huge decreases in body fat. I want to celebrate my success with the nutrition because there are so many, but my body fat should have changed and it didn't. I want to figure this out and need advice.

I shared my story in a blog post along with my numbers, photos and history, and will tell you that I'm very disheartened by my body fat results, but working hard to focus on the positives and come up with a positive solution which is why I'm reaching out for support on this site.

http://www.painfreep...hole9-challenge

Looking forward to figuring out what I missed.... so I can make the proper changes.

[Tom Denham]

If you lost weight and gained strength, you eliminated some body fat. You don't become stronger losing muscle. I guess you could have lost some water weight and not fat, but body fat measurement is not very precise in my experience.

I followed the link to your blog and appreciate your posting your numbers and pictures. That was helpful. Your body fat numbers are about the same as that of a CrossFit competitor I know. She and I were measured at the same time a few years ago. She was upset with her numbers, but I can tell you that no one in the gym thought there was anything wrong with her body. I can see the differences between your January 2012 and January 2013 pictures. You did good! You look good! Relax. If you worry about your numbers and do much to try to force them lower, you may make your health worse and, oddly enough, make the numbers go higher.

[Emily]

You sure look like the fat you were carrying around your middle decreased, fairly dramatically. What is range of accuracy with that test? if it's within +—2 or 3 %, your number may have changed more than it is saying.

[xacerb8]

I, too, see a dramatic change in your body. Your back is so defined and chiseled in the after photo!

The more I read about Cross Fit, the more intrigued I am....

Congratulations! You look amazing and your story is really inspiring.

[mary-t]

It sounds like you had a really successful, rewarding 98 days (right until you did the bodpod analysis). I think this is how the scale, measurements, etc. can be damaging (I'm still working on this myself). Don't let some (seemingly random) numbers ruin your accomplishment. You feel better, you feel stronger, you're happy with your progress--just keep repeating that to yourself and avoid the measurements for a while (or ever).

[Robin Strathdee]

Deb -

I loved your post, and the fact that you chose to take back your power (as Oprah would say) despite your dislike of the test results. I, like the above commenters, can see a significant change in your body composition. That, accompanied by the significant error (32 to 29%) in test results leads me to believe that your results were less than accurate. However, you've gained so many other health markers that I would encourage you not to even think about those numbers unless you start noticing a change for the worse. Then, I may have different testing done (in cooperation with a physician, perhaps).

[Coach Deb P]

Thank you all so much for the words of support and encouragement. I am deeply touched by your kindness.

My hope was that by sharing my story I'd be able to speak to/encourage someone else who might have had a similar experience and help them through it. I can't possibly be the only one who's gone through this, so when I read Tom's comments about his friend, it really made me feel better. Thank you Tom!

What I'm loving from reading everyone's posts, is that I didn't miss anything.

This experience has taught me some very valuable life lessons and made me deal with my internal weaknesses. I am at peace with the outcome of the testing results. I can't explain the high body fat (see my note below on the update to the story), but have a very strong sense that the longer I adhere to a Whole9 lifestyle, this too will change.

What I ultimately learned is that body fat cannot be the subjective measure of a Paleo Challenge (I understand that for the majority of people, this is a great measurement, but it isn't one for me).

Although I had very dramatic changes in physical appearance, performance and strength, the fact that my body fat really didn't change rendered me ineligible to win the contest. I was really disappointed because of course, in the top 3 challenge winners, all lost impressive amounts of body fat.

I'll call it what it is - I was JEALOUS!

Now that I've had time to process it all, share my experience with others and receive feedback from this forum in particular, I just have to be at peace with what I can't control and like Robin said "take my power back".

I won't lie, I had a few tough days and went into a dark place that used to allow things I couldn't control affect my emotions. Maybe that's what surprised me the most.

Because I changed so much and felt so much better I just assumed my body fat would change like everyone else's did. And when it didn't I just couldn't wrap my head around it for awhile.

Lesson? I'm not everyone else and it just is what it is. Since I made my post, I'd like to share my update. While my BodPod test results had too great of a variation to really use as a valid measure, I had the opportunity to go in for a DEXA scan. Some amazing results came in.

My BMI is normal (24.1)

My Bone Density is 2.5x higher than my peer group (normal range is 0.725 - 1.205) Mine is 2.2!

My Body Fat is 31%

Yep - it really is and I can't control it except for what I choose to put into my body, the rest I give it, the balance I offer it in mind-body-and-spirit, and of course how I train it. I feel good about where I'm at in all of these aspects, and like I said earlier, I now have a sense of peace that this too shall pass.

Because my body fat is high, I will look into having my hormone levels tested to ensure that they are all functioning normally as a safety precaution. But otherwise, because I'm sleeping great, feel great and have good energy, I'm sure nothing is out of the ordinary.

The longer I adhere to my Whole9, the better my body will be in every area.

I'm back in another cycle of a Whole9 90 Day Challenge (this one is for myself, and by myself), and I have a feeling I haven't even begun to settle into my new normal.

Tom & Robin - as Whole9 moderators and representatives, I appreciate your feedback very much. Thank you both from the bottom of my heart for support! It means the world to me!

[Coach Deb P]

You sure look like the fat you were carrying around your middle decreased, fairly dramatically. What is range of accuracy with that test? if it's within +—2 or 3 %, your number may have changed more than it is saying.

Thanks for your support Emily. I agree, my last BodPod analysis had too much for a variation to use as a valid test result. I've read a few different research studies which found error rates of 2% on average, but up to 6% on some individuals. So.... yes, I agree with you that my results were probably not worth recording.

But I did go in for a DEXA scan to contrast/compare, and it really is true. I still have a high body fat percentage. My DEXA result fell right in between my two back to back BODPOD results. So... it is what it is.

As I wrote in my blog post, I have to focus on all the positive numbers and outcomes as my measure of success. My hope in sharing my experience with others, it to show how fragile some of us still can be when it comes to numbers, learning to come to terms with it without allowing it to define or control my emotional well-being.

[Coach Deb P]

It sounds like you had a really successful, rewarding 98 days (right until you did the bodpod analysis). I think this is how the scale, measurements, etc. can be damaging (I'm still working on this myself). Don't let some (seemingly random) numbers ruin your accomplishment. You feel better, you feel stronger, you're happy with your progress--just keep repeating that to yourself and avoid the measurements for a while (or ever).

I, too, see a dramatic change in your body. Your back is so defined and chiseled in the after photo!

The more I read about Cross Fit, the more intrigued I am....

Congratulations! You look amazing and your story is really inspiring.

Thank you both so much for the love and kind words. I really want to let people know that the Whole9 Program is truly life changing, and something silly like a human made machine/test result like the BodPod analysis can cause great harm if one is not prepared.

My results and body composition are a great example of a statistical anomaly. I have a deep sense that the longer I practice my Whole9 nutrition and lifestyle, that eventually even my body fat numbers will change as my gut continues to heal.

My hope is that sharing my experience will help someone else not give up because of a result that didn't meet an expectation.

[Moluv]

Thanks so much for posting about your feelings on this topic- I am on day 16 and spent the first 14 counting the days till I could weigh again. But reading this a few days ago really gave me some perspective about negative feelings I might have at that weigh in and how that might skew my view of all the other benefits. It's just not worth it. I honestly don't think I'm going to weigh in on day 31. Maybe I won't at all- what does it really matter? I feel better than I have in a long time-maybe ever- and I have to protect those good feelings. Sorry Scale Dragon.

[lulucandoit!]

Thank you so much for sharing your story. I went to your blog and read more in depth and saw the pictures. Thank you. For some reason, I was tempted to get on the scale today and this has helped me stay away. Have you read this: http://everydaypaleo.com/attention-scale-addicts-part-2/ Because that is what I thought of when I saw your "before" and "after" pics. I don't care what those calipers, etc. say: You look fit and great!

[Coach Deb P]

Thanks so much for posting about your feelings on this topic- I am on day 16 and spent the first 14 counting the days till I could weigh again. But reading this a few days ago really gave me some perspective about negative feelings I might have at that weigh in and how that might skew my view of all the other benefits. It's just not worth it. I honestly don't think I'm going to weigh in on day 31. Maybe I won't at all- what does it really matter? I feel better than I have in a long time-maybe ever- and I have to protect those good feelings. Sorry Scale Dragon.

Moluv - I'm so glad I was able to share my story to shed light on the topic and hopefully speak some experience/wisdom about numbers and expectations. In my experience, my expectation of what my number would be and the actual result didn't match up with the effort and work I felt that I put in. I was devastated and I almost missed the whole point. It's not about the numbers! So yes, protect your good feelings and if your inner voice is telling you to stay away from the scale, respect the voice! It knows more than we give it credit for.

Keep up your dedication and hard work. Your mind-body-and-spirit will thank you!

[lulucandoit!]

Thanks so much for posting about your feelings on this topic- I am on day 16 and spent the first 14 counting the days till I could weigh again. But reading this a few days ago really gave me some perspective about negative feelings I might have at that weigh in and how that might skew my view of all the other benefits. It's just not worth it. I honestly don't think I'm going to weigh in on day 31. Maybe I won't at all- what does it really matter? I feel better than I have in a long time-maybe ever- and I have to protect those good feelings. Sorry Scale Dragon.

Moluv, I think I am going to do the same thing. Still haven't tossed the scale, but am not willing to let it dictate how I feel. And no matter what, it will have me focused on the wrong things.

[xacerb8]

The thing I hate is that people that I tell about the Whole30 are like, "Oh, you've been doing it for a week? How much weight have you lost?

I found myself becoming irritated during what should have been a lovely Valentine's Day meal with my boyfriend as he said things like, "Well, I cock an eyebrow at a diet that says legumes are bad and lets you eat as many eggs as you want." Etc!

Annoying.

[Coach Deb P]

Thank you so much for sharing your story. I went to your blog and read more in depth and saw the pictures. Thank you. For some reason, I was tempted to get on the scale today and this has helped me stay away. Have you read this: http://everydaypaleo...addicts-part-2/ Because that is what I thought of when I saw your "before" and "after" pics. I don't care what those calipers, etc. say: You look fit and great!

lulucandoit! -

I'm so happy to know that by sharing my experience I've been able to give you some support on your journey! I haven't read the article you're referencing, but I'm going over there right now to check it out! Thanks so much for your kind compliments.

You're completely right - the scale isn't a tool we should use to measure our success. Best of luck to you on your journey! Let me know what I can do to be a support to you from here on out!

[Coach Deb P]

The thing I hate is that people that I tell about the Whole30 are like, "Oh, you've been doing it for a week? How much weight have you lost?

I found myself becoming irritated during what should have been a lovely Valentine's Day meal with my boyfriend as he said things like, "Well, I cock an eyebrow at a diet that says legumes are bad and lets you eat as many eggs as you want." Etc!

Annoying.

xacerb8 -

I hear you. Whole9 is not about losing weight. Understandably, some will lose weight as a by-product of better nutrition choices, but what I love about the focus and education of the Whole9 program is that it isn't about the weight. That's what was frustrating to me on my 90 Day Challenge. We used a body fat and muscle mass measurement as part of the way to "win". Thus we effectively repeated and opened a door for some of us who are statistical anomalies to fail. Such a shame.

Instead of getting annoyed with others, use it as a way to educate. Tell them exactly WHY you are making different food choices. It helps deflect the negative emotions you feel and, helps break the cycle of "numbers' being the focus.

Best of luck to you on your journey! You CAN do this!

[Jenn B]

Here's my 2 cents, from years of working with trainers some of which were nutritionists as well and tweaking my diet and tracking my BMI... (and I am embarking on getting my personal trainer certification) so I am all about being "cut".

I understand your compulsion with numbers and tracking results, the hardest part for me before i started the 30 days was ditching the bmi scale.

First, I suggest you buy your own bmi scale that is not being put to the test (as in used on multiple people). you will have more control over when and how you want to measure (for example, I measured the same time of the morning when i measured, and only 20 minutes after i had a glass of water to hydrate, no food).

Burning fat... I do not know what cross fit is, but I do not that if you add high intensity interval training to the mix, even 1x per week, that will make a huge difference, on treadmill or eliptical.

Also to consider, how are you eating before a workout and after a workout- sufficiently replenishing the protein stores?

What time of the month did you measure as well? Hormonally speaking, mine fluctuated alot if I was near menses.

Last, my body composition completed changed when I changed up my workouts. I went from weight training, to super sets- either a day with whole body- or alternating body parts and doing no more than 3 body parts in one day.

For what it's worth, you look great from the 1st to 3rd picture. But aside from just feeling good, I enjoy being able to see results. Unfortunately, I did not take and pre whole 30 picture of myself and will hold off on getting on the scale til after completing my 30.