NSVs

[Questforhappiness]

So I am on day 18, and I have not really been feelin the NSVs.

I am pretty bummed about it. I started a new job so did not have a lot of time with my current schedule pre-Whole30, but I might even feel MORE tired in the mornings than usual. I hit the alarm over and over and have even been a little late to work.

I have taken Adderall for years to help with my general feeling of wanting to fall asleep or falling asleep often. I start to fall asleep at work, while I'm driving, basically anywhere where I am sitting for a long time. I don't know if I have ADD or not (diagnoses have been confusing and all over the place, I am going to go back to get re-evaluated soon) and so part of the reason why the Whole30 appealed to me was to try to get more sustained energy levels and regulate my cortisol and stop feeling so sleepy and foggy. I also have chronically abused sugar to deal with feeling tired and foggy all the time so the Whole30 seemed perfect!

Well, this is not happening. I feel just as tired and foggy. I have had to pull my car over on just short drives to take a nap because I was falling asleep while driving.  I haven't felt the surge in energy levels everyone is talking about. I was feeling pretty energized one morning a couple days ago, and so I decided to not take Adderall that day because I wanted to see if the Whole30 could carry me, and by 1pm I was trying so hard to stay awake. I went on a hike yesterday thinking maybe I will feel physically energized and I was winded and not feeling fit. I am pretty fit, and have found my yoga practice feels improved, but I expected more.

I really believe in the concept of the Whole30 and would like to continue with Food Freedom when I am done, but if I am not feeling the results it doesn't seem worth it. I ate pretty healthy before and felt way less restricted (and spent way less money), so if Whole30 is not helping with my energy levels I should just go back to my previous diet....

Thoughts?

[jmcbn]

It'd be impossible to comment without knowing what you've been eating for at least the last three days. Can you give us a run down with specifics on veg types, portion sizes of protein as they relate to the size of your palm, fat sources & quantities, liquid intake & activity levels? Also, are you salting your food? Are you taking any meds? Have any diagnosed pre-existing medical conditions? How old are you?

[ArtFossil]

Have you had a sleep study? If not, I urge you to have one. Falling asleep while driving is a dangerous red flag and a signal to investigate your sleep. 

[ladyshanny]

I hope you'll answer the questions above so that we can possibly give you more directed feedback however I wanted to remind you that 18 days of eating protein, vegetables and fat, while excellent for overall health, is unlikely to provide you with a significant change when you have a pretty strong back history of this issue. Most of the people that find that they have sudden, raging energy are those that were basically fairly balanced to begin with. Folks that have underlying health conditions, out of balance hormomes, disordered eating in their past etc generally don't feel like the cat warrior riding the unicorn while pooping rainbows. Especially not in 18 days. Sorry!

I guess what I'm trying to say is, it may be more helpful to you to have realistic expectations of what this program may actually do for you. You'll never go wrong eating protein, veggies and fats but there is no guarantee that you're going to get olympian energy.

[Questforhappiness]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for looking into this. I am 34. I am taking celexa for depression, bromocriptine for a harmone disorder-hyperprolactemia, adderall, and I'm on Nexplanon for birth control. I have had 2 sleep studies done -originally I was diagnosed with sleep apnea back in 2002ish. I then had nose surgery last year and had another sleep study done and it found that I didn't have sleep apnea anymore. I am thinking of going back for another one and re-explaining my issues to see if there is anything else they can do. I have been diagnosed with mild depression and ADD at some point as well. I also have been diagnosed with IBS, which is another reason why I am doing the Whole30 (and maybe has some effect on my energy levels, or as you'll see at the end, what I consume which might have an effect on my energy levels, so worth looking at as well.) I AM SO SORRY ABOUT THE POOP NOTES.

Here are my notes from my Whole30. I know about the stuff thats not recommended (like smoothies and Larabars) and am going to work on that stuff...so let me know if you think they are particularly contributing, but otherwise anything else would help! The notes are rough so let me know if you need to know more details about any part. 

I can't stop eating snacks around 2/3. I am tired and hungry and sit at a desk all day so this is the only thing I can do to keep going. I am trying to eat bigger lunches now to stay full longer, but I also have been working out after work and don't think I will have enough energy to make it through, then get home and cook and eat dinner before being starving.

April 17-Day 1

Breakfast-Oatless oatmeal

·         one 1/2 medium apple or 1 small apple

·         1 date

·         1 tbsp chia seeds

·         1 tbsp unsweetened coconut

·         1 heaping tbsp slivered almonds

·         almond butter for topping

·         splash of Silk Cashew Milk

Lunch

·         (out with Jen) burger with mushrooms and onions, salad with oil and vinegar

·         Cherry pulp/seltzer drink

Snack

·         3 date rolls

Dinner

·         Tilapia, sweet potato, avacado

 

April 18 –Day 2

Breakfast –Pumpkin coconut smoothie

·         1 cup coconut milk

·         1/4 cup organic pumpkin puree

·         2 teaspoon spumpkin pie spice

·         1 frozen banana sliced

·         1 cup ice

Lunch

·         Spinach salad, brined chicken salad with compliant mayo and dressing

Snack

·         Apple and almond butter

Dinner

·         Tilapia, steamed green beans

 

 

April 19-Day 3

Breakfast

·         Breakfast salad with 2 hardboiled eggs

Lunch

·         Spinach salad, brined chicken salad with compliant mayo and dressing

Snack

·         Apple and almond butter

Dinner

·         Free! Mahi mahi from the store, sweet potato, avacado

 

April 20-Day 4

Breakfast

·         2 hardboiled eggs with salt?

Lunch

·         Paleo chicken and parsnip fries

Snack

·         Probably strawberries

Dinner

·         Apple and almond butter

·         ??

Notes

·         headache

 

April 21-Day 5

Breakfast

·         Blackberry chia pudding

Lunch

·         Prosciutto salad sandwich (tomatoes, onions, basil, balsamic)

Snack

·         Probably strawberries

·         Cherry pie larabar

·         cashews

Dinner

·         Shephard’s pie (sweet potato top, ground beef, onions, carrots, spices) -all further portions about 1/6 pie

Notes

·         headache

 

April 22, 2017-Day 6

Brunch –Beast & Bottle

·         All made Whole30 compliant

·         Egg, sweet potatoes, pulled pork, side salad

Snacks

·         Lavender ice tea

·         whole box of strawberries

·         about 2 cups cashews

Dinner

·         Shephard’s pie

Notes

·         Was pretty depressed/irritated all day with a headache

 

April 23, 2017-Day 7

Breakfast-breakfast bowl

·         1 ripe medium banana

·         2 eggs

·         1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder

·         1/4 green apple, sliced

·         1-2 Tablespoons almond butter

·         1-2 Tablespoons dried coconut flakes

·         1 Teaspoon cinnamon

·         Coconut oil, for cooking

Lunch

·         Was asleep

Snack

·         About a cup of cashews

Dinner

·         Shephard’s pie

Notes

·         Was pretty depressed  all day with a headache

 

April 24, 2017-Day 8

Breakfast-carrot smoothie

·         1 cup carrots

·         ¼ cup cashews soaked overnight

·         Spices (ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg)

·         2 dates

·         1 cup almond milk

·         1 frozen banana

·         1 tbs hemp seeds

Lunch –salad

·         Kale/red cabbage mix

·         Veggies roasted in canola oil-zucchini, asparagus

·         Less than a fist full of roasted chicken

·         Hard boiled egg

·         Pomegranate seeds

·         Some little orange fruits that I thought were cherry tomatoes

·         Ranch Whole30 compliant dressing

Snack @ 5pm

·         Paleo chicken tenders and home made ketchup

Dinner

·         Thai meatball egg drop soup

Other

·         also drank kombucha throughout the day

·         drank a glass of pineapple juice around 7pm

Digestive situation

·         constipated all day

 

April 25, 2017 –Day 9

Breakfast –almond smoothie

·         ¼ cup almond butter

·         1 banana

·         1 cup ice

·         1 cup almond milk

·         Cinnamon

Lunch

·         Shephard’s pie

Snack

·         2 coconut larabars (pre-hot yoga)

Dinner

·         2 hard boiled eggs, kale, ½ avocado, ½ tomato, snap peas, carrots, balsamic, olive oil

Digestive situation/notes

·         Feel pretty bloated/constipated

·         I kind of felt like tiger blood. I felt energized, slim, strong. I exercised for the first time, hot yoga, and felt awesome.

·         Then I perused Facebook group for 2 hours and felt elated and reinvigorated!

 

April 26 –Day 10

Breakfast-breakfast salad

·         2 soft boiled eggs, kale, ½ avocado, ½ tomato, snap peas, balsamic, olive oil

·         Coffee with almond milk

·         Kombucha

·         2 strawberries

Lunch

·         (out for Jen’s bday) steamed chicken and veggies

Snack

·         Date roll

·         ½ box strawberries

Dinner

·         Thai meatball soup

Digestive situation

·         Quick and easy BM –maybe this is what it feels like to NOT have IBS?

·         Feeling a little gurgly, diarrhea

·         Rest of the day was good

 

April 27-Day 11

Breakfast

·         Apple with ¼ cup almond butter

·         2 epic venison sticks

Lunch

·         Whole Foods bar –hemp seed salad, kale salads, carnitas, grilled mango, melons

“Snack”

·         Milk taste test (tried a sip of different nut milks to see if I liked any -I don't)

Dinner

·         Mushroom chicken

Digestive situation/notes

·          feeling pretty good

·         Did yoga, felt really strong and kind of tiger-bloodish

 

April 28-Day 12

Breakfast

·         Smoothie with 1 banana, half cup coconut milk, 3 strawberries, cinnamon, 3 dates, 1/8 cup coconut, ¼ cup hemp seeds, 20 pistachios

Lunch

·         Thai meatball soup

Snack

·         Coffee Kombucha

Dinner

·         Greek meatballs with tzatziki sauce, fried calliflower rice (4 medium sized meatballs, 1 cup of calliflowe rice)

·         Poached pears with raspberry sauce for desert

Digestive situation

·         and now it is 2:00 and my energy is really dragging. Maybe intense bowel movements drain my body?

·         Also, I have been having lots of GOOD DREAMS for many nights!

 

April 29-Day 13

Brunch

·         Omlette with sausage and veggies

·         Hash browns –veggie oil

·         coffee

Snack

·         poached pears with raspberry sauce leftovers

·         ½ cup coconut cream with 2 clementines

·         ½ cup cashews

Dinner

·         Mocha rubbed pot roast

·         Sweet potato with ghee

·         Salad –mixed greens, carrots, green peppers, onions with oil and balsamic

Notes

·         Not such a good day with the huge sweets/snack binge midday

·         I was very lethargic and took a huge nap midday, which felt great but did not feel like lots of energy

·         Stomach was meh

 

April 30-Day 14

Breakfast

·         Ola Juice Bar acai bowl –the one with spinach and spirunella, with blueberries, strawberries, pineapples, hemp seeds

Lunch

·         @ farm with jen –roast beef, tomatoes, onions, banana peppers, iceberg lettuce, with Italian mixed dressing

Snack

·         Apple pie Larabar

·         1 cup cashews

Dinner

·         Mushroom chicken, sweet potato with ghee, same salad as last night

Snack

·         ½ cup coconut cream

Notes

·         Felt very tired/lethargic all day

·         Took a short nap, laid on the couch a lot

·         Almost fell asleep while driving –pulled over and ate some coconut cream to wake myself up

·         Not really a good day –mad about going out to eat and not being able to eat anything

 

May 1-Day 15

Breakfast

·         ¼ cup coconut cream, strawberries, hemp seeds, coconut flakes

·         coffee

Lunch

·         Mushroom chicken with kale salad

·         Blueberries, grapes, strawberries, melon for Judge McDonald’s birthday

Snack

·         Chomp meat stick

·         Lots of snap peas

Dinner

·         Kale salad with carrots, snap peas, balsamic and oil

·         (Went to Yona’s to make Turkish eggplant but plans failed)

Notes

·         SUPER low energy today –does it have to do with a little bit of crappy eating this weekend? If so, that makes me mad. I did a lot of work to make this weekend work.

·         Almost fell asleep on the way to work, didn’t know how I was going to stay awake all day. Adderall helped. Is Adderall responsible for my energy or Whole30?

·         Afternoon –want to nap! Weather is also kind of cold and cloudy so maybe that’s why

·         Stomach feels unsteady, but nothing is happening yet. 

·         I don’t know what I did to deserve feeling crappy today!

 

May 2-Day 16

Breakfast

·         2/3 Turkish eggplant (eggplant filled with ground beef, tomatoes, onion, parsley and spices)

Lunch

·         Greek meatballs/tzatziki sauce, calliflower fried rice (4 medium sized meatballs, 1 cup of calliflowe rice)

·         1 large apple

·         A lot of almond butter (maybe ¼ jar)

Snack

·         Apple pie larabar

Dinner

·         RX Chocolate Sea Salt bar

·         (took too long after I got home from yoga to cook)

Notes

·         Felt really good today, did yoga,

May 3-Day 17

Breakfast

·         Leftover Turkish eggplant meat (about 1/2 cup)

·         1 egg with a little bit of almond milk

·         Arugula

·         Coconut wrap

·         (Amazing!)

·         About 2 hours later, almost a whole carton of strawberries

·         Coffee with nutpods!

Lunch

·         Zoodles with pesto chicken thighs (2 small)

·         About 1/3 a jar of almond butter (!!!)

·         1 large apple

Snack

·         Coffee with nutpods

Dinner

·         Illegal Petes! Potatoes fried in canola oil, zuchhini, peppers and squash cooked in canola oil, carnitas, lettuce, pico, cilantro, olives, guac and pesto

·         Izzys to drink

Dietary situation/notes

·         I decided not to take Adderall today, felt really high energy all morning

·        So my stomach felt normal and fine, was feeling great

·         ·         After that is when I ate the 1/3 jar of almond butter –I was so hungry and frantic feeling. I am wondering what effect diarrhea has on my body –does it send my sugar levels crashing? I did not feel full or satisfied –I could have eaten more. But now I feel guilty.

·       My stomach still feels crappy and bloated and like I may have diarrhea again at any point

·         I am so tired that I needed another coffee and can’t keep my eyes open/do my work

·         Also forgot my glasses today –could be contributing to tiredness/back pain

·         Was tired for the rest of the afternoon, then hiked, and was winded. I don’t really feel this extra energy

 

May 4-Day 18

Breakfast

·         Leftover Illegal Petes and tostones

·         Coffee with nutpods

·         Little bit of Izzes

Lunch

·          

Snack

·          

Dinner

Notes

  

· Soooooooooo tired this morning, and it has been like this for the past few days –where’s the waking up easier in the morning?

·         Feeling tired and foggy at work too

[ladyshanny]

OK, I can't read through all that as I'm at work and most of us mods are.  From a brief glance, it would seem that your first meals focus mainly on sweet and carby things that are not at all recommended (smoothies, n'oatmeal, fruits exclusively).  

What I'll say is that with your first paragraph history of underlying conditions, I go back to my first comment about not expecting miracles.

 

[Babsie95]

you have listed nuts, specifically cashews, by the cup or even two. Nuts are a fat source on whole30 and not a great one. The recommendation is 1 closed handful every other day. Nuts are also very hard on digestion so this could be at least one source of your issue

[slc_melissa]

I'd say you need to take another good look at the meal template.  Many of your meals, especially breakfasts are completely missing protein.  How much water are you drinking?  And yes, I think all the smoothies and larabars would have a huge impact on your digestion.

I'd echo that it looks like you are eating a LOT of nuts, which can be very hard on the digestive system.  

I'd cut out all nuts, bars (even the meat-based ones), some of the fruit unless it's part of a bigger meal, and skip all the oatmeal-ish/smoothie things you've been trying at breakfast.  If you don't like traditional breakfast or eggs (also, eggs as a sole protein source are as many as you can hold in a hand....usually at least 3-4), think of it as Meal 1 and eat whatever you would for Meal 2/3.  (Pesto chicken for breakfast?  Yes, please.)  I think your lack of protein at breakfast is setting you up to be hungry at 2/3.  (That's what happens to me.) 

Template: https://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-meal-planning.pdf

Rules and Recommendations: https://whole30.com/2015/01/rules-recommendations/

Good luck!  And good job taking meal notes.

[SugarcubeOD]

I've edited your post to remove the excessive descriptions of your bowel movements. I assume you copied and pasted this from a journal source elsewhere but we generally don't need visual descriptions of your excrement.

I have only skimmed this, but you are almost primarily eating fruit and nuts with some salads thrown in, your meals that are not fruit and nuts are lacking fat and if I ate like this, I would have a headache and feel terrible also.

Have you seen the template?  It asks for 1-2 palms of protein (or as many eggs as you can hold in one hand without dropping), a plate full of vegetables (not fruit) and appropriate added fat in quantities related to what type of fat you're choosing.

I don't see a single meal on this list that meets the template.  My suggestion would be to start making proper template meals, leaving off the fruit and nuts, smoothies, lara bars etc.. entirely and see how that helps...

[Questforhappiness]

Omg I can't stop laughing (and I'm at work too) and I am SO embarassed..SugarcubeOD...I am often guilty of oversharing, and yes I did copy that from my journal, and I've read other people's posts, Facebook etc. about their pooping issues so I thought we were all in, but yes, guess I have never read any as descriptive as mine. Let me just say that with IBS, I was in situations early on in my life (Peace Corps, awkward work bathroom situations, etc.) that has made me not have much of a filter when it comes to poop. I am so so so so so sorry. 

Thanks for the advice everyone. Yes, looking back at my food journal myself I was embarrassed to post it because there are so many technically-ok but not template-worthy and even things I have since learned or just thought "why not" that are not really in the spirit of the Whole30. I will work on being more compliant from here on out based on the templates.

Do you think I need to start again?

[SugarcubeOD]

I don't think you need to start again, but you may want to extend... also, I forgot to mention that coconut 'wraps' are not allowed...

It's only in your own best interest to follow both the rules AND the recommendations... you've done this fruit and nut thing now for 18 days and it clearly isn't working, so I think you do owe yourself some decent amount of time doing it WITH the recommendations and seeing how you feel.

[Questforhappiness]

I will. I am looking back now -I guess I am surprised that you say that you don't see a single meal that meets the template-because I think most of my lunches and dinners have met the template? Is there something I am missing? (Maybe its that I didn't put down veggie portions -when I say salad, its usually 1-2 cups of salad. The eggplant was 2/3 of an eggplant which I think is 1-2 cups...the calliflower was 1 cup, and if sweet potatoes count a lot of the meals that have sweet potatoes were around 1-2 cups too...)

Not to be argumentative, but I just want to make sure I adjust properly....

[SugarcubeOD]

50 minutes ago, Questforhappiness said:

I will. I am looking back now -I guess I am surprised that you say that you don't see a single meal that meets the template-because I think most of my lunches and dinners have met the template? Is there something I am missing? (Maybe its that I didn't put down veggie portions -when I say salad, its usually 1-2 cups of salad. The eggplant was 2/3 of an eggplant which I think is 1-2 cups...the calliflower was 1 cup, and if sweet potatoes count a lot of the meals that have sweet potatoes were around 1-2 cups too...)

Not to be argumentative, but I just want to make sure I adjust properly....

You don't list fat in these meals for the most part...

Starchy carbs are recommended as a fist sized serving a day... more if you are an athlete or have unstable moods, less if you are sedentary or vastly overweight.

Salad, unless it has heartier veggies in it often chews down to almost nothing so 1 cup or 2 cups of greens is not sufficient

[Questforhappiness]

Ok, thanks so much for clarifying. I will be more diligent.

So for plated fats -we need about a thumb size portion, right? And you guys are saying to cut back on the nut intake. Unless I have actual coconut on my plate, it seems my only plated fat option is avocado or olives? Or just eating fatty meats?

[SugarcubeOD]

2 hours ago, Questforhappiness said:

Ok, thanks so much for clarifying. I will be more diligent.

So for plated fats -we need about a thumb size portion, right? And you guys are saying to cut back on the nut intake. Unless I have actual coconut on my plate, it seems my only plated fat option is avocado or olives? Or just eating fatty meats?

Mayo, pesto, sundried tomatoes in olive oil, avocado, olives, olive tapenade, mayo based dressings, salad dressing, sesame oil... hunt around in the food and drink forum on here i'm sure you'll find some other good ideas

[AmyS]

I wanna jump in here to add to the other comments - because I think you're waaaaaaaaaaaay overcomplicating this thing. You've seen what I'm about to say already in this thread, so I'll be reviewing (sorry, I'm a teacher, it is what I do ). Here's what we want you to do:

1. 1-2 palm-size portions of protein (when eggs are your protein, a serving is as many as you can hold in your hand)

2. 1-2 thumb-size portions of fat (nuts/nut butters are fat for Whole30 purposes, and a poor choice for regular consumption)

3. 2-3 cups veggies (basically, fill your plate with veggies)

 

Do that three times a day, the first time within one  hour of waking. If you are hungry sooner than 4-5 hours from your last meal, eat a mini-meal composed of at least two of the three elements of a meal. Then eat a bigger breakfast the next day. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Really. That's absolutely all there is to it. You can get fancy with recipes and stuff, or you can eat protein, fat, and veggies.

I'm gonna dive into one of your days' worth of meals and offer suggested edits (again, I'm a teacher, so bear with me - and don't worry, you have a solid A for effort here and there's no exam, so you're good):

Quote

 

May 1-Day 15

Breakfast

·         ¼ cup coconut cream, strawberries, hemp seeds, coconut flakes

·         coffee

 

OK, so, for Whole30 purposes that's not really breakfast. I mean, none of it is noncompliant, but it isn't in any way a meal. Try something like: 1 good dollop homemade mayo with 3 grated hardboiled eggs (salt and pepper to taste); fill the rest of your plate with whatever veggies really float your boat right now (my current Veggie BFF is collard greens but YMMV)

Quote

 

Lunch

·         Mushroom chicken with kale salad

·         Blueberries, grapes, strawberries, melon for Judge McDonald’s birthday

 

Make sure you have enough quantity of food to really fill you up - mushrooms, chicken, kale, and whatever fat source you are eating with this - oil drizzled on the kale, for instance? On Whole30, women are often surprised at how much food we have to eat in order to stay full. Eat up!

Quote

 

Snack

·         Chomp meat stick

·         Lots of snap peas

 

If you need to eat between lunch and dinner, OK. Your choice here is OK, protein and veggies. Plan on a much bigger breakfast tomorrow morning, and then a bigger lunch also if needed. Again, eat up!

Quote

 

Dinner

·         Kale salad with carrots, snap peas, balsamic and oil

·         (Went to Yona’s to make Turkish eggplant but plans failed)

 

This would be the meal to add a starchy veg if you haven't yet eaten one during the day; you also need a protein; and make sure your veggies really really fill your plate. Don't try to get fancy with your food if you're tired. I keep canned salmon in the cupboard all the time for those times - you can pre-cook chicken thighs, ground beef, etc. to have. For many of us, cooking at the end of a long day is a ridiculous idea. Pre-cook, batch cook, keep it simple.

Generally, I'm seeing you being awfully committed to making food that mimics stuff like oatmeal, pudding, dessert, etc. Ditch all of that. Just eat food. Protein, fat, veggies. Protein, fat, veggies. Protein, fat, veggies. Simplify, simplify, simplify. Don't waste all that time making chia this and fauxtmeal that. I mean, yuck, right? Also, it's fussy and takes you away from just eating actual protein, fat, and veggies. You can do this.

 

 

[Questforhappiness]

Hey Amy -thanks. I appreciate the teachery-ness.

So last night, I went out and spent $25 bucks and got myself a pound and a half of prosciutto (sort of a good deal?) and some olives from my corner fancy deli. I ate a palm size portion of prosciutto, wrapping it around about 2 cups of arugula (I know, I need to get more non-leafy veggies, but its what I had last night, will go shopping this weekend and stock up, again!), and a thumb size portion of olives, while reassessing my life on the Whole30. I made a shopping list that includes canned salmon, olives, pesto, and I will make mayo and ranch this weekend. Thank you all so much for getting me on track.

I think a lot of the smoothies in the beginning was because the Whole30 online said start right away, and I have a problem with heavy breakfasts, so pretty quickly noticed all these resources for non-egg breakfasts. I have a friend who did the Whole30 and loved it, but she has the same breakfast issue, and she told me even though the Whole30 doesn't recommend smoothies, she has one every morning anyway. And when I read the justification for advising against smoothies, I thought, its about satisfaction. Like it seems Melissa wants you to chew your food to feel really satisfied. And I thought -I actually feel more satisfied with a smoothie so maybe this will work for me. Anyway, I had printed out all those recipes and bought all the fancy ingredients at Wholefoods and so once I read It Starts With Food and Food Freedom Forever and more about the Whole30, I realized my breakfasts weren't cutting it, but I didn't want to waste what I bought (I have spent so much money so far on this!) But now I realize, for now and for the next reset, I will save the money on buying all that weird stuff and eat the template for breakfast too. I think I have been better about it after that first week?

Anyway, in my self-exploratory mission last night, I realized that the whole eat every 4-5 hours for me is a problem, and I am wondering why it is not a problem for so many people. I work from 8-5, with a 45 minute commute. I wake up at 6:30 and leave at 7:15. I make and eat breakfast in that time period. I usually take lunch at 12, but have been moving it back more because I often go work out after work, and then have to come home to cook. So as it looks to me now, there is no way I can eat every 4-5 hours, and that's why I am snacking. I am snacking because I am hungry. I think of Melissa's advice -are you really hungry? Would you eat steamed fish and broccoli right now -to which I say, yes! -and then I eat a snack, especially if I am going to work out. Does an hour of hot yoga count as intense enough exercise to eat a mini meal before and after?

So if I am going from 7-12, that's 5 hours, but if I move it back 7-1, thats six, and then 1 to at the earliest 6 (which almost never happens, since I get home around 6 if I don't work out, and have to cook, and if I work out don't get home till around 7) so thats usually more than 5 hours. This is why I am snacking, and eating so many fruits and nuts. I am going to try to batch cook on Sundays to cut out having to cook dinner. But that is a little bit of a bummer because I enjoy coming home and cooking a fresh dinner and not just eating something heated up in the microwave. But maybe I just have to suck this up. But that still leaves me at usually over 5 hours between meals. So should I just start incorporating regular between meal snacks but make them a meat and a fat instead of larabars and fruit and nuts? I am assuming most 9-5ers have a similar problem, and was thinking of writing this as a separate post, but I guess I'll just add it in here for now.

Oh and I ate a much bigger breakfast this morning so maybe that will help...will report back.

[Questforhappiness]

Oh and one more excuse for myself for SugarcubeOD, since I can't stop thinking of how embarrassed I am (I shamed myself to all my friends and family and they are like -how could you ever think its appropriate to talk about your BMs in public in that much detail?!?) -but that really visually descriptive one, you probably know which one I'm talking about -was the first normal, healthy BM I have had since I was 14 years old (I'm 34-so that's 20 years), that's why I was so excited, and almost took a picture of it, because you know, we live in the photo-everything culture, and then I had to remind myself "No Jaime, we don't take pictures of this!" But that was a super NSV, and I just wanted to point that out. Again, so so so so sorry. I hope you don't think I'm an animal.

[AmyS]

QFH, here are the elements that you report bringing to Whole30:

• Depression
• Hyperprolactemia
• ADD
• Sleep apnea
• IBS

Do know that Whole30 is not a program that will heal the body of these issues. It will provide a base of the best bodily health possible, from which you can then deal with these important health issues as they continue to affect your life.

The lifestyle elements you report include working a 9-5 job with a long commute and an after-work workout schedule, combined with a desire to cook yourself a meal every day after all of that.

First of all, your plan to stop taking some of the medications you need for these medical issues needs to end, if it hasn't already. Doctors' orders trump Whole30. Take the medication.

Second, you can certainly pack food to take with you as you work out the best way to eat your meals during your work day. If you eat at, say, 6:45 a.m., then at noon, and then won't be home to eat a meal again until, say, 8:00 p.m., then you may very well put in a mini meal at that point. Fruits, nuts, fake desserts, etc. don't fit that bill. Make it a mini meal (or even an additional full meal). Just pack a mini meal (or an additional full meal) in your lunch cooler and take it with you. Eat when hungry. It's not snacking to slide desperately through, it's eating because you need to eat.

Third, batch cooking will be your friend, rather than a drag. You will prepare your veggies, proteins, and fats in advance, but then you will almost instantly create any variety of meals out of those foods on the spot after your workout.

Fourth, plan to batch shop in order to prepare for batch cooking. Springing out to buy two ingredients at a time will bankrupt you and leave you hungry.

Basically: focus (ahem) and simplify. I'm sure you've heard all of this before. It's true in Whole30 as in life. You got this.

[SugarcubeOD]

30 minutes ago, Questforhappiness said:

Oh and one more excuse for myself for SugarcubeOD, since I can't stop thinking of how embarrassed I am (I shamed myself to all my friends and family and they are like -how could you ever think its appropriate to talk about your BMs in public in that much detail?!?) -but that really visually descriptive one, you probably know which one I'm talking about -was the first normal, healthy BM I have had since I was 14 years old (I'm 34-so that's 20 years), that's why I was so excited, and almost took a picture of it, because you know, we live in the photo-everything culture, and then I had to remind myself "No Jaime, we don't take pictures of this!" But that was a super NSV, and I just wanted to point that out. Again, so so so so sorry. I hope you don't think I'm an animal.

I definitely do NOT think you're an animal and I DO completely understand why you were journalling it for your own record... I just wanted you to know that I edited your post and why... we generally don't go editing other people's posts so it deserved an explanation   And yes, glad you didn't take a picture... in the moment it may have seemed like a great idea but when you forget it's on your phone and let someone scroll through... well...

Also, olives when they are your source of fat are heaping handfuls, not a thumbsized portion...

[Questforhappiness]

Oh nooooooooooooo ok well I will try, once again. Thanks so much for all your help!!

[Questforhappiness]

Hey guys,

I feel like a lot of these posts trail off without finding out if the feedback worked -so I just want to tell you -I implemented your advice and, at the very least, I am no longer snacking! I feel satisfied by my meals which I think is helping me eat less fruit and nuts. So yay! As far as energy, I think I feel mostly the same, but maybe I feel more consistently energized. Like back in my old life, I would have some days energized some days tired. I still have that, but I think I have consistently less days tired. Maybe I will just never be able to wake up without hitting the alarm a million times.

THANK YOU!

[ladyshanny]

Just now, Questforhappiness said:

Hey guys,

I feel like a lot of these posts trail off without finding out if the feedback worked -so I just want to tell you -I implemented your advice and, at the very least, I am no longer snacking! I feel satisfied by my meals which I think is helping me eat less fruit and nuts. So yay! As far as energy, I think I feel mostly the same, but maybe I feel more consistently energized. Like back in my old life, I would have some days energized some days tired. I still have that, but I think I have consistently less days tired. Maybe I will just never be able to wake up without hitting the alarm a million times.

THANK YOU!

Oh, excellent, thanks for checking back in!

When you're ready, you can look into sleep hygiene, if better wake ups are something you wish to work on. Sleep schedule (ie, to bed and up at the same time every day including weekends), no napping, no hitting the snooze, eliminating blue-light before bed, noise reduction and increasing darkness in your room, room temperature, getting bright light to your eyes first thing in the morning. These are all things that you can work with to try and improve sleep quality which in turn eventually improves waking/falling asleep. 

March on, we're here for you!