Whole30 Diary: Day 8

09 Jan Whole30 Diary: Day 8

Day 8 Pitfall!!!!

Oops! I experienced my first real pitfall today, and just when I was feeling so good about my progress. I’d clocked 5,000 steps on my Fitbit, fixed a satisfying breakfast, and was getting dressed to go out and run some errands.

When I pulled on my navy cords, I was expecting them to fit just right–even a little loosely. After all, I was in my eighth day of Whole30 and had followed every rule to the letter–no sugar, no dairy, no grains, no legumes.

Wait a minute, I said aloud. This can’t be. I can hardly get these pants buttoned.

I immediately panicked and ran to my bathroom scale, fully aware that one of the cardinal rules of Whole30 is to ignore the scales and weigh only on day 1 and day 30.  I hesitated for a moment and tried to resist.

Just calm down, my inner parent said. I’m sure they’re feeling tight because they just came back from the cleaners. Cords always shrink when they are cleaned.

Yeah, right, my inner child answered sarcastically, as I pulled off the cords, stripped down to my underwear, and plunged onto the scale.

I Realized How Much This Thing Really is About Weight!

I waited for the dial to stabilize, and then, horror of all horrors, the condemning numbers appeared. The scale had budged no more than a quarter of a pound since I stepped on it eight days ago.

The inner parent used reason, reminding the inner child that the primary goal of Whole30 is not weight loss but better health.

You do feel better; you have more energy; and, after all you are only a quarter of the way through the program. And, remember, you really were not supposed to weigh yourself.

Yeah, go tell that to some skinny person, my inner child said.

And it was then that I realized how much this whole thing really was about weight loss.

I Pledge to Keep Off the Scales and Stick with the Program

After I finished wallowing in my disappointment, I went back to the book–The Whole30: 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom by Melissa Hartwig and Dallas Hartwig (https://amzn.to/2L80zZ6).  I discovered chapter 6, The Whole30 Timeline, in which the authors outline day by day the challenges and pitfalls of the program.

I found that from day 8 to 9, many people do experience a feeling of weight gain–tight jeans, bloating, etc. The authors assure the reader, based on hundreds of thousands of cases, that this phase will pass in a few days–that the pants will button and the clothes will loosen.

They caution the reader not to cave in and rely on the scale to measure progress…Well, it’s too late for that! But I’ve learned my lesson and I won’t make that mistake again.

After today’s drama, I’m on to Day 9 with renewed determination and resolve.

Whole30 Day 8 Food Diary

• Breakfast–omelette with mushrooms and onions; slices of avocado.
• Lunch–scallops from yesterday; cabbage from New Year’s Day; dates
• Snack–cashews; Roasted Plantain Chips (Trader Joe’s)  These are really good–a good substitute for chips. However, they are high in calories and I’ll probably try to forgo them after this bag.

• Dinner–ground beef patty; Brussel sprouts; dates
• Completed 10,000 steps on Fitbit.

See Whole30 Day 1 for more information on the program.

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