Day 14: I'm waiting...

[Lindsey Ater]

Tell me it gets better...please! I just finished Day 14, and I am really getting frustrated. So far, I have been fine with the food list. I have had a few cravings and even a few cheeseburger dreams, but I am not having any real issues with the plan. I even sipped my black coffee while my daughter indulged in a gourmet doughnut. (She made it to Day 10 and gave up .)

I had really hoped to see/feel some improvements by now. I skipped the "hangover" phase, and thought I would breeze right through this. I guess I kind of am. However, I don't have extra energy, I am not sleeping well, I have aches and pains, I have a pimple, my stomach is iffy, my mind is more scattered than usual, and I am ruining my social life.

I could really use some encouragement, here. Should I give up fruit? Should I drink my body weight in water? I understood that I wasn't going to get immediate gratification, but I really had hoped to notice something positive at the two weeks mark.

Please share similar experiences or the day(#) the Whole30 changed your life forever. Share anything. I'm getting bored.

Lindsey

[Guest]

I am a few days behind you and have seen ups and downs. My tummy is so unhappy with this, but I smiled my way out of the grocery store with some fun produce today as I passed the treats for St. Patrick's Day. Something must be going right.

Anyway, when I see your post, I wonder more about your goals and what you have been doing to get there. I can't answer your questions based on what I read or my own experience.

My biggest goal is to meet this challenge. You are almost halfway there, so the big positive I see is that you have stuck with it!

Just like the stepping on the scale daily and watching your daughter grow, you have been there for every moment of this, so you may not see the incremental changes, but I have a feeling you will one day. I hope that day is magical and that you write back and tell us all about it when it comes!

(Oh, and I was just reading an old thread - I found it by searching for unintentional - and saw that a lot of people had trouble just after the mid-point. Maybe you have hit that patch.)

[jenn fengels]

Hey Lindsey!

I just came across your post as I was sifting through the forum this morning to see how people are getting along with their W30's. I completed my first W30 last October and am gearing up for another round starting March 18.

What you're experiencing right now sounds almost identical to what I experienced. I was extremely frustrated and quite frankly thought this was a waste of my time and effort, but since I had already gotten half way through I didn't want to give up. I kept waiting and waiting for the magic to happen. Kept waiting for glowing skin (I also got a pimple or two through out the process!) and more than anything I longed for this amazing sleep and boundless energy that I had read about. I would have a decent/energetic day here and there, but it was not consistent and therefore disappointing. I think I had really high expectations based on the things I had read, and when I didn't experience those things I started to get frustrated.

While the changes I experienced during the W30 were not profound to say the least (in fact, they were somewhat negative), I will say that the changes I noticed AFTERWARDS made the most difference. The week after I completed the W30 everyone wanted to know what I thought and if would I recommend it, etc. To be truthful, in those first couple of weeks following I didn't feel that my experience was convincing enough to recommend it to anyone.

However, here I am 6 months or so later and now I can honestly say that I do believe the W30 changed my life. I have not reverted back to some lifelong bad habits (i.e. loads of sugar and cream in my coffee), and I continued to lose weight and "lean out" in the months following the W30 -- despite the fact that carbs, sugar, and dairy crept back into my diet. I truly believe that the W30 is a nutritional/metabolic reset and I am so glad that I stuck through it, and even though I didn't stand 100% behind it at the time, I absolutely do now.

From everything I've read on the forum and based on my own personal experience, as well as the experiences of my close friends who have also completed the W30, my best advice is to stick with it. As Nico said above, you are halfway there and this is positive! Try to focus on the positives as much as possible -- as difficult as it may be.

Forgive this long-winded reply! Just felt like I needed to reach out and share my experience, which sounds very similar to yours so far.

Best of luck!

[30Canandaigua]

I am in the middle of my second W30. Check out my logs for more details on my journeys! I have seen changes in many ways, some very slight to loosing 18bs on my first one. The most amazing thing for me is to have found a sustainable way of eating for maximum health... and to realise that I am committed to my health, finally. What were your expectations coming into this?

Good luck! Stay with it.

http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/5909-confessions-of-a-non-cross-fit-foodie/

[Keri W.]

Keep at it! Everyone's body is different. Some things take a bit longer. For me, I noticed that when I reintroduced some cheese, I didn't initially see a problem. After quite awhile, I noticed my face breaking out again and I didn't feel quite right. I eliminated cheese and that took care of my problem...after quite a few weeks. It is easy to get frustrated because we want everything right now. Big changes could be right around the corner for you. Don't throw in the towel yet! Best wishes!!!

[Lindsey Ater]

Thanks ladies! I appreciate the feedback. The only goal that I can control is my goal to finish, and I will. I also have goals of additional energy, fabulous sleep, and decreased anxiety. I guess I am just happy that in the meantime, I am treating my body well.

PS-I really want a beer tonight!

[Guest]

We have nearly identical goals.

How about a little kombucha?