I googled and found that since it focuses on whole foods, weight loss may occur as a result of giving up processed foods, grains, dairy and sweets, however that is not the primary intent. I also learned that my neighbor broke a cardinal rule: You are not allowed to step on the scale or take any body measurements for the duration of the program. http://whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/

For those of you who are interested, I've lost 80 lbs. It took me 1.5 years. I've kept it off for almost 2 years now. The maintaining is more difficult for me than the losing was. I went to a doctor who has the industrial style of the little scale Mtn recommended. It measures the fat, water and muscle. Tells you your BMI, etc. That really encouraged me. It also tells you your resting metabolism. I ate 500 calories a day less than what my resting metabolism burned, and I consistently lost 1 to 2 lbs a week. After about 25 lbs, I joined a gym and started working out, too. I never really felt deprived because I decided how to use my calories. If I wanted to splurge on something, I knew I had to give up something else. And I always have one Dove dark chocolate candy before I go to bed. I struggle with keeping the weight off because I still love food. I eat so much healthier now, but I have trouble with portions. I gradually eat a little more and a little more. That's why I weigh every day. I can't afford to let it slide. If the scale starts creeping up, I have to nip it in the bud immediately. I've lost weight on 3 separate times in the past, and always gained it back. This is the longest I've ever kept it off. Before, I started gaining it back almost immediately after I'd lost it. What started it all was that I found out I had a fatty liver. It scared me. I didn't really think I could lose it, but to my surprise, I did. After menopause, when I tried to diet, I felt starved and deprived, and then didn't lose any weight. I wasn't cutting back enough. With this calorie driven diet, since I ate what I wanted, I was in control, not some unseen dietician or author. But different things work for different people. Now I'm healthier than I've ever been, in better shape physically than I've ever been, and feel 42 instead of 62. Since I lost slowly, I lost primarily fat, and minimal muscle. And the gym helped with that as well. So take heart, if I could do it, you can too. And if you fall off the wagon, jump right back on. The longer you delay, the harder it is to get back on.

Mtn-- I missed your post above until just now. I had very similar experiences through covid-- and they mostly went unnoticed because for a good portion of the pandemic, I was 120% focused on work. I was not nearly as active-- I was indifferent to food and inconsistent with my meals (very likely the reason i lost weight). I didn't take a shower or get dressed every day and I didn't have good sleep patterns -- I would fall asleep around midnight, if i was lucky and then back up and working by 5am. This pattern continues to some degree even now. I never really experienced either depression or anxiety in my past but I definitely had mild forms of both through the pandemic-- and recently a short run with anxiety again. Like Mtn, I didn't know the signs to recognize it or see it creeping in. I think my disinterest in food was likely a sign-- also my inability to sleep or focus on reading. I know now, in hindsight, that when i turn to a run of mysteries, it's a sign that I am not doing my best. Mysteries are my comfort food. My hope is that eating well and taking better care of my sleep and physical self will make me less likely to experience the anxiety and mood shifts. Kswl's post really struck me-- of course, she has more serious challenges and concerns with her DH's and mother's health issues but she is right. Now is the time to take good care of ourselves so that we can face the challenges ahead-- our own and those our dear ones and our communities are facing. THIS keeps me much more motivated right now than anything. (Also the jeans in another size smaller that are waiting for me to try on!)

Very depressing middle of the week. First, I had to "purge" for a colonoscopy. So on Wed. I only was allowed to drink, and my calorie intake was under 300. Then the day of the procedure, I only ate 916 calories, so my two-day total was just over 1200. And yet when I stepped on the scale this morning, I had gained almost two pounds, erasing almost three weeks of dieting. I know it is just a temporary spike, but of all times, this would not seem to be the day I would spike like that. It is also depressing that weeks of dieting can be erased in two days. Imagine if I had eaten a lot those two days! It just drives home the point to me that it is going to be very difficult for me to lose a lot more weight and keep it off. I'm happy I stopped gaining and my clothes still fit, but I really wanted to lose about ten more lbs . . . and keep it off. It's clearly not my calorie consumption . . . I also got depressing news on the gut end. Well actually not just the end, the whole GI system. I have acid reflux, even though I had no symptoms, but it has affected my esophagus. I have gastric ulcers (probably payback from using so much NSAIDs for migraine) and diverticulosis. So my diet is going to have to be even more restricted. I am very hesitant to start taking acid reducing pills every single day. It seems so extreme. But I can't imagine limiting my diet much more. Well, for now, out totally with caffeine and alcohol, no spicy foods, but tomatoes onions and garlic? I don't eat huge amounts of them, but I love Italian and other Mediterranean food and they are pretty ubiquitous for that . . . The treatment for diverticulosis is to eat more fiber, which I can hardly imagine since I eat whole grains and beans and vegetables and fruit every single day . . . more greens, boo rah! I love greens thankfully. It's just one more frustrating thing in my life.