Any suggestions?

[lovestohike]

Hi, I am on day 5 and day 3 to 5 of the whole 30 program, I have been exhausted. Normally, I run 25 to 35 miles a week. And I barely make it one mile before throwing in the flag. I really have not felt like working out, but I normally find a lot of enjoyment in it.  I thought that this stage was a bit latter in the program. 

 

Also, I have noticed that I have a strong mental need to snack starting at 330pm right up to dinner which is about 630/7. It is really a mental challenge for me. It's an anxious time for me that started in childhood. I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions, tips, trick for beating out that period. I find myself wandering around or look up recipes, reading news, etc for distraction but its a struggle to stay focused. By the way, I work from home on a contract basis and am a stay at home mom. I can't leave the house or do things with the kids because we have "quiet time" from 230/3 to 430/5.

 

I am the only one doing the whole 30 in the house and no friends are doing. So, I came here for some insight and support. Thanks.  

 

[jmcbn]

Hey there

 

I'm wondering if you're eating enough..... Could you post a few days worth of your food & liquid  intake, indicating portion sizes, along with sleep/stress/activity levels?

It's not unusual to struggle with running/training in the first few weeks as your body switches from sugar burning to fat burning, but there may be some tweaks you can make in the mean time to speed up that process.

You seem to have identified that your afternoon snack urge is a habit, rather than hunger so I'd stick with the attempts at distraction for now but you may find that tweaking your food may also help...

[Tom Denham]

Your afternoon sounds unstructured. Maybe if you planned to do something specific during quiet time - read a book, work on crafts, exercise, watch a movie. If you are within 4-5 hours of a previous meal and not actually hungry, you should not eat, but you could drink herbal tea or drink a big class of cold water as part of a soothing routine. 

[Stegner]

Sounds like you have a fair amount of clarity already, but you might try paying close attention to what the energy of this craving feels like, beginning to end. It will start like an itch, build in intensity, diminish and then go away. The point is to observe it until it disappears. This might be a meditation or a writing exercise. I think most everyone wrestles with some variation of this. Good luck to you.

[lovestohike]

Hey there

 

I'm wondering if you're eating enough..... Could you post a few days worth of your food & liquid  intake, indicating portion sizes, along with sleep/stress/activity levels?

It's not unusual to struggle with running/training in the first few weeks as your body switches from sugar burning to fat burning, but there may be some tweaks you can make in the mean time to speed up that process.

You seem to have identified that your afternoon snack urge is a habit, rather than hunger so I'd stick with the attempts at distraction for now but you may find that tweaking your food may also help...

 

I am sorry for the delay here pretty much a breakdown of food and water.

 

When I wake up I down a roughly a liter of water. I have an additional 1.5 liters through the day.  (I guess I should say, incase you wonder, my pee is not clear, its a light lemonade color... sorry if that is TMI, but I know too much water is not good)

 

Breakfast 2 eggs with vegetables (spinach or kale, tomatoes and broccoli) tablespoon-isa of avocado dressing (2 avocados, olive oil, red onions, pepper, salt, onion powder, cayenne) with 4 oz of coffee and about 8 ounces of water. Sometimes a small sweet potato. 

 

lunch protein (chicken breast) with salad, seltzer 12oz.  (Salad is loaded with kale, spinach, carrots, red cabbage, green/red/yellow bell pepper) dressing is a red pepper walnut homemade. 

 

dinner a stew with sweet potato, lamb, tomatoes, carrots, celery, homemade beef broth. 

[lovestohike]

Your afternoon sounds unstructured. Maybe if you planned to do something specific during quiet time - read a book, work on crafts, exercise, watch a movie. If you are within 4-5 hours of a previous meal and not actually hungry, you should not eat, but you could drink herbal tea or drink a big class of cold water as part of a soothing routine. 

 

Thank you for the suggestion. I actually have planner to keep everything straight and I noticed I really just have "quiet time" listed, but nothing to do within that period. Very unstructured. One would have thought I would have seen that. Again, thank you. I will schedule some things and see how it comes. 

[violetta]

I am sorry for the delay here pretty much a breakdown of food and water.

 

When I wake up I down a roughly a liter of water. I have an additional 1.5 liters through the day.  (I guess I should say, incase you wonder, my pee is not clear, its a light lemonade color... sorry if that is TMI, but I know too much water is not good)

 

Breakfast 2 eggs with vegetables (spinach or kale, tomatoes and broccoli) tablespoon-isa of avocado dressing (2 avocados, olive oil, red onions, pepper, salt, onion powder, cayenne) with 4 oz of coffee and about 8 ounces of water. Sometimes a small sweet potato. 

 

lunch protein (chicken breast) with salad, seltzer 12oz.  (Salad is loaded with kale, spinach, carrots, red cabbage, green/red/yellow bell pepper) dressing is a red pepper walnut homemade. 

 

dinner a stew with sweet potato, lamb, tomatoes, carrots, celery, homemade beef broth. 

 

 

I see that you have very little added fat.  Try adding  some fat at lunch particularly, avocado, a salad dressing with homemade mayo, saluted veggies in coconut oil, etc. plus perhaps some starchy veggies like potato or squash.  I often cook up a spaghetti squash or roasted sweet potatoes so I can have a little at each meal.  Regular potatoes are also compliant. I like to get a bag of the little purple ones, great fun to eat. Again, roasted with olive oil.  If you can't make it between lunch and dinner, plan a small meal of protein and fat, particularly if you are exercising heavily.  You might just need four meals, I did at first and still do on days of heavy swimming and running.

[jmcbn]

I am sorry for the delay here pretty much a breakdown of food and water.

 

When I wake up I down a roughly a liter of water. I have an additional 1.5 liters through the day.  (I guess I should say, incase you wonder, my pee is not clear, its a light lemonade color... sorry if that is TMI, but I know too much water is not good)

 

Breakfast 2 eggs with vegetables (spinach or kale, tomatoes and broccoli) tablespoon-isa of avocado dressing (2 avocados, olive oil, red onions, pepper, salt, onion powder, cayenne) with 4 oz of coffee and about 8 ounces of water. Sometimes a small sweet potato. 

 

lunch protein (chicken breast) with salad, seltzer 12oz.  (Salad is loaded with kale, spinach, carrots, red cabbage, green/red/yellow bell pepper) dressing is a red pepper walnut homemade. 

 

dinner a stew with sweet potato, lamb, tomatoes, carrots, celery, homemade beef broth. 

I think your meals look a little light in general...

When eggs are your only source of protein in a meal a serving would be the number of whole eggs you can hold in one hand, which is 3-4 for most people. Drink your coffee after you've eaten as it can act as an appetite suppressant.

Lunch looks light in fat in particular, but I wonder if you're getting enough protein there too - how much chicken are you eating in relation to the size of your palm? The salad obviously needs to be HUGE to keep you going for 4-5hrs - think about how much those veg reduce down when chewed/wilted.

Tea again is light in fat.

Protein will give you the staying power as the body takes a good bit longer to process it, & fat will give you the much needed energy. The veg (with their fibre) provide that nice full feeling in your tummy.

I think if you tweak as above you'll find things will fall into place.