So.very.hungry...

[Jewels_V]

I am on Day 3.  A big part of my "why" is that I was eating so much between meals, it was pretty much grazing and I'd eat lots and lots of fruit (pretty much my only sugar source as I was gluten and dairy free before Whole30 and my vegan protein bars were stevia sweetened).  I would often eat due to boredom, or because it tasted good.  Now I have reigned in my fruits to 1-2 servings a day and I am having what should be very satisfying meals but they fill me for only about an hour!  Today's breakfast was a scramble of about 1 cup egg whites (I hate the smell and taste of yolks) chicken, spinach, onions, mushrooms and bell peppers (cooked with coconut oil) on 1/2 half of  a sliced sweet potato topped with salsa and cilantro, and about 3 sliced strawberries on the side.  This was a plate full of food!  For dinner, I am having at least 3-4 oz of meat, a salad with Tessamae's Whole 30 compliant dressing, some olives and a potato with ghee.   So my meals are NOT small!  Why am I sooooooooo hungry all the time?  I feel physical hunger, not like its all in my head.  I left Weight Watchers because I wanted to become more of an intuitive eater and I got used to "fruits and veggies are zero points so I can eat whenever I want" but this actually feels like a DIET to me because I am so hungry all the time.   Will my hunger/fullness cues reset over time?  Do I tough out the hunger til the next meal or do I eat more meals?  Please help! 

[SugarcubeOD]

Okay so you've only listed two meals... are you only eating two meals a day?

Your breakfast is lacking fat and it doesn't really say how much chicken, but egg whites are nutriently poor without their yolky counterparts, so if you don't like eggs, find something different to eat.

It's possible that if you were eating vegan protein bars and other nutrient poor foods prior to starting the Whole30 that your body is so excited for nutrients that it's giving you hunger signals because it knows good food is now incoming... if you would happily eat steamed fish and broccoli when you're hungry, then eat a mini meal of protein and fat and work to compose your meals so they're more fat/protein heavy until you start to feel like you can go 4-5 hours between meals.

If you would like more directed help, then we would need the details of what you've been eating including portion sizes related to template (not oz... I have no idea how much 3oz of meat is), specific veggies, protien, fat and fruits (a salad could be ice berg lettuce, or it could be a chopped hearty veggies salad... we'd need to know).

[ultrarunnergirl]

More fat. Don't fear the fat! You need a good amount. The Meal Template guidelines are minimums.

[Jewels_V]

Thanks @SugarcubeOD and @ultrarunnergirl  I do eat meals according to the templates, I left out lunch and snacks.   Except for breakfast, where I made the above mentioned egg white scramble with veggies and a small amount of chicken with a little fruit, my lunch and dinner so far are palm sized pieces of steak or chicken with grilled vegetables (Hubs made a TON of yummy grilled mushrooms, onions and peppers in anticipation of my increased veg intake) or steamed broccoli topped with ghee.  I also ate a small to medium sized potato   topped with ghee for lunch and dinner.  I have added a handful of olives or nuts here and there.   I work out twice a day (due to my work/life schedule).  Cardio is 30-45 minutes combo of jogging, elliptical or stairclimber 5-6 days a week in the morning or at lunchtime and Pure Barre (a barre-based 55 minute strength and stretching class) 5x times a week (3 times in evening and mornings on weekends).   

Because of the workout, I have eaten a preworkout snack of a handful of nuts and a small (1/2 palm) sized piece of chicken.  Most of my hunger seems to take place earlier in the day.  I work from home 9:30-6PM.  I usually eat breakfast around 10, caved and had a snack around 1, lunch around 4, PW snack at 6:30 and dinner when I come home from barre at 9PM.  I don't go to bed until about midnite or so, so my meals kind of all run late.   Generally speaking there is about 12 hours in between my last meal and the first one of the next day.  

I feel like with the amount on my plate, I should be full.  Honestly, I have been a snacker for so long that I don't remember any meal keeping me from wanting to eat again for 4-5 hours, even if I grossly overate a giant cheeseburger and french fries or a holiday dinner!  

Do you think that this will resolve in a couple of weeks and I need to just be hungry for a while, or am I not eating enough?  It sure looks like enough LOL.  I don't know how I am NOT getting stuffed.  

I'd appreciate any feedback you have, sorry for the long post but I was trying to paint a complete picture.  I really want to work this plan!

[SugarcubeOD]

Your meals sound okay to me, what stands out is your first meal of the day being at 10am... do you get up at 9?  This may not resolve the hunger by itself but by eating within an hour of waking, you regulate your hormones cortisol and leptin which also help regulate hunger and your sleep/awake schedule.

Also, I don't see post workout meals so you're cheating yourself of two additional times to eat if you're working out twice a day.... it's possible that what I said was true and you're nutrient deficient due to previous intake and now not eating enough with the workouts and your body is just politely asking for food. the answer to whether you should just learn to live with being hungry is no... there's a reason for it... if you would eat bland fish and broccoli, then it's real hunger and that's something to be trusted so lets keep tweaking and following all the recommendations until we get you full

[Jewels_V]

Thank you so much!  I don't eat breakfast within an hour of waking-I have to take thyroid meds and they need an hour to be absorbed before I can eat.  That being said, I tend to get sidetracked in the morning and probably let too much time pass.  I'll try to start earlier and also incorporate more meat into breakfast since I only eat egg whites.   I will also get another post workout meal or two in.  The worst times for me seem to be from about 11AM-5PM.  After that, I don't seem to be as hungry.  Thanks for the advice  its much appreciated!

[ultrarunnergirl]

Since you're not eating yolks, you need more fat with Meal 1. Add more ghee, scrape it out of the pan over your egg whites, or add a half an avocado. Also try the post-workout meals. Working out twice a day is going to keep your appetite whetted.