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Prior to starting the Whole 30 program, I would eat a lot of food with-in a day and drink a tremendous amount of diet coke. Currently, I have been successful with the Whole30 program having completed Day 8.

My issue is this... I am only drinking water like I should and eating the foods that I am suppose to eat based on the program but I feel like I am eating too much food still. Of course I am better off now because I am not eating the junk that I ate before.

The one plate of food 3 times a day is not enough to curb my appetite for more food.

Help?

Scott

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Scott - As long as you're eating nutrient dense proteins, fats and veggies (in portions similar to the meal planning template), we want you to eat enough to feel full. Try to learn the stopping point for you, so that you don't consciously over-fill yourself, but don't be afraid to eat until you're full.

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Yes, the template is the palms and thumbs and plate. I am at about 1.5 palms and thumbs now. ;-)

I was a little confused between eating too much and not staying full. I had to work up to eating a full plate of food, but now I can and I stay full for about 5 hours between meals. I get pretty excited at breakfast/meal 1 to have a whole plate of food before me. I think I used to split that much food between 7 tiny meals. Yet, I get to do that 2 more times each day.

I digress. Which part is bothering you? Or which parts? I want to be helpful, but I wasn't quite sure what you needed help with.

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one thing jumps out at me here: Scott, it sounds like you've got the protein and veg going on, so cool. I wonder if you might be missing the "good fat" portion of the template? Fat is particularly satiating, so make sure you have some (about a thumb-size or two at each meal), and you might find you need less overall volume of food to carry you. I tend to try to favor fatty meats, avocados, full-fat coconut milk and olives as my primary fats, and supplement when needed with coconut oil, ghee, olive oil, and nuts, but any and all of these are fine.

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Here is the meal template: http://whole9life.com/book/ISWF-Meal-Planning-Template.pdf

I am confused. You say you feel you are eating too much, but you want to eat more? I guess both are possible, but the cool thing about the Whole30 is that you can lose weight without being hungry all the time. You really can eat enough to be satisfied, although that can take some experimentation.

I ate 4 to 6 meals per day when I started the Whole30 approach to eating. I probably did not need 6, but 4 or 5 was important to me for a while. I work from home, so preparing something whenever I was hungry was easy. It took me more than a year before I worked down to 3 meals per day. Now I sometimes have to make sure I get my third meal in because I can easily get through the day on 2. I learned the hard way that I have to eat the third meal or I wake up hungry in the night.

So prepare meals based upon the meal template. If you are getting hungry after fewer than 4 or 5 hours, you might need to add another meal. It is probably better to eat in line with the meal template portion sizes more than 3 times per day than to go much beyond the template guidelines at any one meal. That way you get used to eating "normal" portions. Of course, the template is not "one size fits all." You can double protein portions and add more fat to achieve satisfaction at meals.

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I'm going to jump in with my usual question: are you eating sweet potatoes?

I don't feel right on Whole30 unless I eat one each day (or equivalent carb-y veg). If I drift into too low carb, I get nasty belly and a weird nauseahunger that can only be alleviated by some carbs. That weird belly feeling can definitely read as "hunger".

Also, I think it's pretty common in the first 10 days of your whole 30 to have some "hollow days" where you feel like you can eat the world. Your body is catching up to the changing composition of your food, turning up some metabolic pathways and ramping down others. Just go with it and eat as much as you need, that feeling will pass.

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Thank you so much for the comments and advice. By using the word appetite in my original post, I may have given the impression that when I eat too much, it's because I am hungry. That's not the case. In the past, I would continue to eat a large amount of food because of some emotional need. If the food was available, whether in the kitchen, at the convenience store, or at the fast food place, I would eat a lot... beyond being full to stuffed.

Now... As I move through the Whole30 program, I have transformed what I eat... but still sense that emotional need to eat more than I should. For example, two plates of food at a sitting. I am quite certain this is an emotional issue or need. I wonder how I can get myself to back down from so much food? (At least it's healthy food unlike before.)

Maybe my body will will altar the signals it sends and I will cut back automatically. Either way, I am concerned that I am ruining things by still eating too much.

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Oh... What I eat is mostly sautéed in olive oil or ghee.

Breakfast (1 plate)

3-4 eggs, pork or hamburger with mushrooms and onions, sometimes sweet potato

Lunch (1 plate with seconds and thirds)

Steak, chicken or hamburger with mushrooms and onions broccoli and/or cauliflower

Dinner (1 plate with seconds and thirds)

Chicken, beef or turkey meatballs, or shrimp, sautéed with veggies, sometimes cauliflower rice, sometimes green beans, cauliflower or broccoli

My first plate follows the template pretty well, maybe need a little more fat. My problem is the seconds and thirds.

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I hear you loud and clear, Scott. During my first Whole30 I didn't find myself eating when I wasn't hungry (a defining characteristic of the first 51 years of my life), but now on my second Whole30 (started 3/10), I feel like eating all the time - even after I finish a perfectly satisfying (physically) and compliant meal.

I have also made the mistake of snacking on macadamia nuts over the past few days, which is B-A-D for me (I get into automatic mode with hand to mouth, hand to mouth, hand to mouth...). Can't control it, so it's got to go.

If I feel hungry between meals now (I've made the mistake of having just 2 hard boiled eggs in the a.m. without any veggies or fat) I have some green tea. If I feel like eating when I'm not physically hungry, I try very hard (nonetheless easier said than done) to figure out why I feel like eating - am I bored, anxious, lonely, etc.

It's hard, but it gets easier. Best of luck to you!

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I don't think so- I'm pretty sure that the gut disrupting foods you were eating before were responsible for a whole host of imbalances that you aren't even consciously aware of- now that you have removed those "foods" your body and mind will heal little by little. Stay compliant, follow the template ratios as guidelines, eat to satisfaction and your appetite will level out. If you feel like you are "hormonally/metabolically deranged" (as the book calls it) commit to more than 30 days. It's really easy to do given that you will be eating totally delicious food.

Have you started a food log here yet? You can get a lot of support and knowledge that way.

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I think with time (months and years) you will get better and better at recognizing if you are eating because you are hungry or for some other reason.

Somewhere (ISWF, maybe?) I read a test -- are you hungry enough to eat steamed fish and broccoli (think bland and unexciting!)? If you are, then EAT! If you aren't hungry enough to eat steamed fish and broccoli, then perhaps consider why you want to eat... and maybe consider something like taking a short walk, writing a page, petting your dog, potting a new plant... you get the idea.

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I started out having been an overeater as well--I knew I wasn't hungry, but I was used to eating often, and I couldn't quite make the difference matter. I hope you'll be encouraged, because this impulse was virtually gone within the first 10 days or so. It might take you longer, but I think that your body will start to drive the train rather than the more compulsive side of your mind. And, as said, eat all the things at each meal, including fat and carbos. Sometimes I'll even have a banana at the end of a meal if I didn't get around to a sweet potato, but even bananas have become almost too sweet for me. Avocados can be a life-saver, too, when you want a quick source of good easily digested fat. You'll really be astonished at how things change, and how quickly, in this department. I would say, let it come naturally and see what all happens.

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I hear you loud and clear, Scott. During my first Whole30 I didn't find myself eating when I wasn't hungry (a defining characteristic of the first 51 years of my life), but now on my second Whole30 (started 3/10), I feel like eating all the time - even after I finish a perfectly satisfying (physically) and compliant meal.

I have also made the mistake of snacking on macadamia nuts over the past few days, which is B-A-D for me (I get into automatic mode with hand to mouth, hand to mouth, hand to mouth...). Can't control it, so it's got to go.

If I feel hungry between meals now (I've made the mistake of having just 2 hard boiled eggs in the a.m. without any veggies or fat) I have some green tea. If I feel like eating when I'm not physically hungry, I try very hard (nonetheless easier said than done) to figure out why I feel like eating - am I bored, anxious, lonely, etc.

It's hard, but it gets easier. Best of luck to you!

Thanks so much for your thoughts. You are right on the automatic "hand to mouth" mode. That happened yesterday with a can of cashews.

Today seems better... But I am busy.

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Scott, busy days are so much easier aren't they? Would it work for you to make up a second plate after your lunch but wait two to three hours before you eat it? Same for dinner? That way the food is waiting for you, you can tell yourself you can have it, but that you have chosen to wait a bit first... This way you end up with 5 meals a day but all good meals. And if you get busy or aren't hungry you can save a plate for the next day.

I overrate the first week because I was adjusting psychologically but also cause I felt bad ( detoxing), and eating more seemed to help. But now I have days when my three meals are just big enough to meet the template and I don't feel like having anything more... As well as some days with more meals or bigger meals.

I do think it will get much easier for you, just hang in there

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So...a big part of the first two weeks is resetting your body's satiety signaling. That's why the template is written the way it is, so you can trust the template when you can't trust yourself.

Especially since you're thinking that you're not actually hungry for the seconds and thirds trips, I would recommend what Juzbo said above me.

Make sure your servings are large enough; maybe 2 palms of protein? Then you're DONE.

If you get hungry 2 hours later, that's fine...have another 2 palm plate w veggies, or whatever you feel you need...but make sure it's really hunger you're feeding! M&D like asking the, would I eat poached fish and steamed vegetables? question. If the answer is yes, you're hungry. If the answer is no, it's a craving, or something else psychological.

Good luck!

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The first few weeks I wanted more too!! I was used to snacking when I wanted so I would have a handful of almonds or some coconut flakes... By the end I was having to force myself to eat at food times because I wasn't hungry. I wonder if you add some raw stuff in if that would help. Looks like you are cooking everything... Maybe a handful of spinach, throw your meat on top of it and it will collect any yummy juices ... Plus you will have more chewing!! That helps me. Cooked veggies only do a small amount to fill me up.

Emotional is hard to break but if you are aware that what it is you are able to break it!! Once things move from the unconscious to the conscious they are able to be worked on!! Maybe do some journaling (emotional type, not food type) instead of the seconds or thirds. Work through the issues rather then ignoring them.

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It seems like you have a handle on what is hunger and what is emotional eating.....

Talking from my experience as a child where my emotional needs were not met , the only self soothing technique I knew was to eat... A lot.

Over eating is a double whammy as your release neurotransmitters that make you feel good, in much the way narcotics hit your brain, so the bad behavior is reinforced with good feelings...... Good feelings fade, self loathing sets in and you go for more food to feel good...

So..... Follow the template and eat one good plate of food and really load up on vegetables..... Eat your food slowly and without the distraction of TV/computers/etc.... Then breath and relax and let your food settle ..... If you feel the need to go for 2nds ask yourself " is this hunger, am I starving?" If you are starving eat more but try to adjust the size of your next meal to get out of the habit of going auto mode for seconds. Like said above if you are really hungry 2-3 hours later.... Eat another compliant meal.... If you are not starving ask yourself " is this a habit or emotional soothing to go for seconds".

If it is emotional, allow yourself to be emotionally starved for a while.... Overheating will not help. Try to find a healthier outlet for soothing yourself.... Creating a log on this forum and logging every meal and writing about your day can be very therapeutic.... I find light exercise like a walk greatly helps. Engaging your mind in chess, or word games at night helps much more than passively watching TV.

I only write about this because I have experienced it and though it will always be a issue, I have it well under control.... Never as well as switching to Paleo and W30..... Now my hormones are strait I really have no cravings and need to remind myself to eat!!!

Keep up,the great work... It gets much much easier

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I am right there with you, Scott! My first few weeks were bumpy. I found myself eating/binging on nuts/nut butter/dried fruit. Which, told me two things: 1) my overeating had more to do with emotion than sugar and carbs as I had originally thought (I always blamed my sugar addiction) and 2) that I had a serious need to reconnect with my "self" and my thoughts.

So...here is what I did.

1. I made sure I had enough good fat and protein at Meal 1 (a.k.a. breakfast). This means I have a half of an avocado with my eggs and veg, everyday! And, I, too, include a sweet potato or squash. Although, I have cut it back a little now, because I found I was not hugry for lunch until 3pm, which screwed up the family dinner times. By day 15 or so, I was in a groove.

2. NO nuts, nut butters, or dried fruit were allowed in my house until I got a handle on my snacking/binging/emotional issues. Again, by day 15 or so, I had that demon under control. I still stay away from nut butter...too risky to put a spoon in and eat mindlessly, so it is banned for now. But, roasted nuts are back in.

3. Fruit is kept at a minimum...my brain sees it too similar to sugar...and wants to use it as a replacement. Especially dried fruit and bananas. So...it is now limited...as it states in the book "It Starts with Food", you can get enough goodness from vegetables to keep fruit at a minimum.

4. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. I started drinking more water, herbal tea, and mineral water. This helped get through those inbetween times when I THOUGHT I should be eating something.

5. Deep breathing. Remeber to relax.

6. I made a conscious effort to stop snacking, because I realized it was just another game my brain was playing. When I started the Whole30 I did so with the agreement with myself that this was going to be at 100% or nothing...by standing at my kitchen cabinet licking almond butter from a spoon was doing nothing to retrain my brain from old habits...which is the point of the Whole30. So, I was switching the grande latte with three sugar packets for a heaping spoonful of almond butter and a dried slice of mango...ludacris and unfair to myself.

Like Melissa Joulwan says in her cookbook "Well Fed"...this lifestyle is liberating because you are allowed to "just eat". You can do this!! Right now you are worried about doing it right and you probably feel like you are doing something wrong, but be patient with yourself...by day 15-16...you may be singing a different tune! Stick with it...it is worth it!! Trust me!

Andrea

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Hey Scott,

First of all, congrats on your first W30!! :D I completed mine on Feb. 1/13, and in the process, lost some weight and gained a TON of knowledge about myself.

I have to agree with some prior posters in questioning your motivation for eating. Pay attention to your body--are you still really hungry, or are you bored/stressed/sad/et cetera? Bear in mind the bland fish/veggie question. That's a great benchmark. We don't want you to starve--we want you well fed and satiated. Truly. On the flipside, we don't want you to stuff yourself stupid and roll around overstuffed either, eat when you are hungry. Stop when you are full. Keep a journal--not of your caloric intake, but of how you feel. It will help you immensely to learn to truly listen to your body, and in more ways than one.

Unfortunately, I do believe that it is a majority of people these days who (while they may not have an eating disorder) have a disordered relationship with both food and eating. We are inundated with the belief that Big Macs are made of real food, and that chemical-laden "low fat" foods are our gateway to health. I'm not trying to oust anything as "evil," rather, I'm just trying to give my perspective and experience here. To give a little bit of background here, I'm someone who has been on the extreme side of both ends of pathologically defined eating disorders, in that I have been a binge eater and 177 pounds at 5 feet, and a severe bulimic/anorexic weighing in at a piddly 77 pounds. Both extreme, both unhealthy, and both fed hugely by the media claims I've been exposed to.

The lesson here is this--what is going to make the machine run the most optimally? Both extremes-over and undereating- are suboptimal. Take the W30 as a chance to re-learn habits that will make you run better, and to learn what you need to add or subtract to your livelihood in order to best exist. Experiment within the W30 plan. When you feel like you are starving between meals, take 30 minutes and journal about it--not just the food or the hunger, but the feelings about how you are running in general. After that, if you are still hungry, by all means--EAT. If you can get by without (truly get by; aka, your hunger was secretly boredom), do so. And write about how doing so makes you feel.

Congrats again on taking the plunge and rising to the challenge; I promise, you'll truly only become a better person for it.

Addendum: the biggest gains I found off this program so far has been mental. I've lost alot of negativity in addition to some serious pounds and bad habits.

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Take the W30 as a chance to re-learn habits that will make you run better, and to learn what you need to add or subtract to your livelihood in order to best exist. Experiment within the W30 plan. When you feel like you are starving between meals, take 30 minutes and journal about it--not just the food or the hunger, but the feelings about how you are running in general. After that, if you are still hungry, by all means--EAT. If you can get by without (truly get by; aka, your hunger was secretly boredom), do so. And write about how doing so makes you feel.

Addendum: the biggest gains I found off this program so far has been mental. I've lost alot of negativity in addition to some serious pounds and bad habits.

Right on!!

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