Its overwhelming sometimes

[BevP]

What is? Everything is! I've been gluten-free in theory almost two years, paleo 16 months, and attempting to follow Whole9 principles for just over a year. In that time, I've managed 2 successful W30s. I've come to accept I have to live basically on the AIP version of paleo but I struggle so much with breakfast. I don't like to eat in the morning to begin with but I know I have to if I want to have a good day. I have some good recipes for breakfast patties, I enjoy sweet potato hash, I will have a rare coconut milk smoothie but it's work. (Why can't I use my return key? Anyone?) I sit down to do a meal plan for the week and before I know it, four hours has flown by, I'm lost in the Interwebz and in tears because it's just too hard to do all of this thinking and planning and organizing. I'm still fat, lethargic, and thoroughly disgusted with my inability to follow a few rules that are in my own best interests. Oh, and I've turned two good friends on to the W30 and W9 life and they've done insanely well. Lol! Looking for some words of wisdom from people who have been where I am. (Please, no platitudes or boot strap comments. If those worked, would I be here asking for help?)

[azcyclechick]

I know for me, meal planning doesn't work either. I cook up some staples every few days, so I just need to reheat. Some things I always have on hand - pre cooked, ground turkey, ground beef, a couple of chicken breasts, and baked sweet potatoes. I try to keep it simple, and mix it up - that way, I don't get bored, and I am able to stay compliant. I don't look at the Whole30 Rules as what I can't have, I looks at what I can have. Good luck - you will find what works for you!

[befabdaily]

Well, I hope this does not come across as bootstraps but: don't make things so hard for yourself. You don't have to do elaborate planning or get lost in a very large range of options. Identify a small collection of meals you like and build off of them. Part of modern western culture is this idea that we need an infinite range of options and that every meal should be different and awesome, and that everything needs to be The Best Ever. It does not. It just has to work.

Set everything up as much as possible to make things easy. I made things easy by -- cleaning stuff I no longer eat out of my kitchen, and rearranging my kitchen so that I see the paleo foods I want to eat front and center. I don't meal plan -- I meal template, and I cook. Every Sunday I go out and shop for my basics, and then I come home and cook two or three meat dishes and roast a batch of sweet potatoes.

This Sunday I made Rogan Josh (out of Melissa Joulwan's book). It takes about 20 minutes to prep and 2 hours to simmer down. I roasted a chicken following the Mimi's Sticky Chicken recipe (long roast but mostly untended). I made a batch of spicy pork and beef meatballs (less than half an hour). I have a ton of food, more than enough to eat all week, and now the only choice I have to make is which container to pack my lunch out of in the morning.

Every day for breakfast I eat something similar. 3 eggs, a pile of sauteed greens or asparagus, and maybe an avocado if I've worked out especially hard the previous day. It takes about 15 minutes to prepare and eat.

Every day for lunch I eat something similar: a sweet potato, and a serving of one of the delicious meaty things I cooked up on Sunday. Paleo meatballs or roasted pork or rogan josh or whatever. Sometimes I'll take a little side dish of sauerkraut, or a piece of fruit. It takes 5 minutes to pack this up to go.

Every day for dinner I eat something similar: a big mixed salad or some roasted vegetables, and a quick-cooked piece of fish or chicken or liver.

One of the biggest illusions I've been able to let go over the last year is that there are two options -- eat prepared crap, or make something fancy and restaurant-caliber in my home kitchen. The illusion that I can do the latter had caused me to pack my kitchen full of rarely-used ingredient clutter. Now I shoot for a happy medium. Nourishing meal that tastes pretty good -- all killer, no filler.

[AmyS]

Yeah I don't do well with trying to plan menus either. I do find that I'm able to cook up a week's worth of sweet potatoes and/or spaghetti squash, roasted veggies, and meat, at a time. Then I can make a meal on the fly out of some meat, some sweet potato, some veggies, and something for flavoring - spices, oil and vinegar, etc. It's fairly basic, but I can add olives or macadamia nuts or dill pickles depending on what I'm eating. It's a no muss no fuss situation - and the less time I worry about it up front the easier it is to maintain over the week.

Also, I agree that there is no pulling yourself up by the bootstraps in this kind of situation. I recently went through several weeks of extra high stress at work and home, and by the time things settled down I had remained compliant, slept well, and exercised as much as possible - but my body composition had altered significantly, solely in response to the stress.

So that puts me squarely in the camp of fast, easy, and cheap (Whole30 Puttanesca anyone?).

Big hugs. I'm sorry it's a rough go right now. I hope you find some relief and just try not to compare yourself to those stunning food bloggers out there - we mere mortals just need to eat.

[whitjm5]

Bev, have you considered a smaller eating window (a version of intermittent fasting, if you will)? If you already don't like breakfast, perhaps two larger meals may be beneficial for you? I wouldn't even mention it to someone new to the Paleo lifestyle, but if you've been doing it awhile and are kinda stuck, it might be just the tweak you need.

Here's a podcast to get you started with the concept:

http://everydaypaleo.com/paleo-lifestyle-and-fitness-podcast-episode-28/

As always, YMMV.

[missmary]

Bev, have you considered a smaller eating window (a version of intermittent fasting, if you will)?

I know you mean well, whitjm5, but the whole30 program and intermittent fasting don't really mix. That kind of approach may work well for someone who has their hormones all in balance and has really dialed in fitness and nutrition, but the whole30 assumes a context where more work is needed to get balanced. Doing intermittent fasting now would be premature...and potentially damaging...especially if the op is a woman. Better to really master the whole30 first and consider intermittent fasting as a tweak much further down the road.

[BevP]

Wow - thanks for the amazing, thoughtful replies. I have a partner who (thankfully) eats what is put in front of him. Cast-iron gut, never really gains weight, goes 20 hours a day... you know, everything I'm not! I do cook all our meals, most often the past two years its a meat, a salad, couple veggies, baked potato for him or bread. My difficulty with lunch is that it has to be eaten with one hand as I work (dog groomer) so even if it needs a fork or spoon that means too complicated. Right now, there is no exercise, which I gather means I shouldn't be indulging in my sweet potato hash daily. I'm limiting my fruits, there is supposed to be no dairy, no eggs, no nuts, no nightshades. But you are right. I need to stick to the basics and remember that I am but a mere mortal. I just need to eat. Cook up lots of meat, maybe roast some veggies, keep chopped veggies ready and then go from there. Question, though. I make Mel's paleo mayo, but it does have an egg in it. Do you think that the 1/2 cup or so I eat in a week is doing me that much harm? Do I need to treat it the same as gluten and have zero tolerance? Please say no, please say no...

[BevP]

Oh, two other things. I do sometimes practise intermittent fasting, by default, when I don't eat a breakfast. I eat my lunch then dinner. But then I'm eating all evening. And I sleep eat. I know I've eaten things but have no recollection of it. And yeah, my hormones are all over the place. I'm reading ISWF right now and had to stop at page 61, you know, the one where they say, "It's ok if you need to put the book down now." I had to, because it just got too real. Back to it tonight though.

[AmyS]

You know, on the AIP question, I really think the answer is individual. Some folks are very strict and some simply restrict, if that makes sense. I think the beauty of Whole30 eating is that it does give you the freedom to try it out within an already-clean eating plan. That's not a clear-cut answer, but I think that if you are up for AIP but not ready to give up 1/2 cup of mayo per week yet, then don't. That's not a professional opinion, by the way - just a suggestion based on making things functional for yourself. You can always edit your eating plan as you go.

You might think of breakfast as a big meal (and I wouldn't worry about limiting starchy carbs, either - I didn't even WANT to exercise until I upped my starchy carbs significantly - they are great for energy) and then pack things you can pick up and eat for lunch. Some people do lettuce wraps, I don't know how secure those are, but you could put anything in a sturdy lettuce leaf and crunch away. Not knowing your schedule I'm probably talking out of turn here, but if you make appointments for your own work you might be able to schedule in even 15 minutes to chow down at lunch. If you're at the mercy of another scheduler, then you do what you can while you work, of course.

I was thinking more about this whole searching-for-recipes thing, because I think a lot of us get caught up in it. I think we're looking for some kind of culinary history to grab onto when we first start eating this way. My parents and grandparents and various other relatives, and later friends from all walks of life, have influenced my cooking style. I don't really have to look for recipes because I have certain things I learned almost by osmosis from these folks. Changing to Whole30 eating means that I can't really rely (at least not fully) on 46 years of life experience with food. It's all new. So it's easy to get caught up in looking for something that will give a sense of normalcy to this new way of eating. Looking for all these recipes could be kind of like looking for grandma's kitchen, turned Whole30. But really, what works best is simple food - pre-prepared meats, pre-prepared veggies, a spice rack full of options, good fats and vinegars at the ready. Over the last six months I've figured out that if I do it this way I can have a solid and tasty meal on a weekday or weeknight within literally five minutes. My grandma didn't have my schedule, my eating plan, or my interest in having things pre-prepared - but my food is just as tasty as hers was. Simple, whole food. Ya can't beat it.

[whitjm5]

I know you mean well, whitjm5, but the whole30 program and intermittent fasting don't really mix. That kind of approach may work well for someone who has their hormones all in balance and has really dialed in fitness and nutrition, but the whole30 assumes a context where more work is needed to get balanced. Doing intermittent fasting now would be premature...and potentially damaging...especially if the op is a woman. Better to really master the whole30 first and consider intermittent fasting as a tweak much further down the road.

I think you forgot to read part of my post: " I wouldn't even mention it to someone new to the Paleo lifestyle, but if you've been doing it awhile and are kinda stuck, it might be just the tweak you need."

I was taking into account that she said she's done two W30s already and has been GF for two years, and Paleo for 16 months. If she's not seeing results with Paleo or W9 principles, I hardly think tweaking that is premature. In fact, the OP doesn't even mention that she's doing a W30 currently, otherwise, I would not have suggested it. I know the two don't mix.

[Kirsteen]

Hi Bev, there's been some great advice here from the others. I wouldn't worry about the sweet potato hash even if you're not exercising. I have ME which means that because of post-exertional malais I can't exercise at all. I recently was bedbound for two weeks after overdoing it at the farmers market but I still eat sweet potatoes or plantains or something every day. I do better with them than without.

As to the mayo, as Amy said, it's going to be up to you. If you don't have a reaction to it, why cut it out? If you do react to it, then you have to decide if it's worth it.

For what it's worth, I've never managed to meal plan yet. I've printed out fancy templates http://www.lifeinyellow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Meals1.pdf and ooh'd and aah'd over them and then got totally overwhelmed and depressed at trying to work out what I want to eat when. I just keep ground beef, ground pork, chicken and roast beef cooked and frozen in individual portions I cook up a batch of veggies and wash a lot of salad veg and put it in green bags and store the lot in the fridge. Then I just pull out what I fancy for each meal and it only takes minutes to reheat and assemble.

Be kind to yourself - you're doing great. don't make it any harder than it has to be. Good luck

[missmary]

I think you forgot to read part of my post

I did read your whole post, and I'm sorry if you didn't feel like I did. Bev is still struggling, so I don't think she is at all ready for a tweak like this (and honestly, I don't think it works for women very often). She says in her original post: "I don't like to eat in the morning to begin with but I know I have to if I want to have a good day." That pretty much says it all to me.

Bev- Please eat some sweet potatoes. You don't have to earn them with exercise, just eat as many starchy carbs as you need to feel really good.

[Beets]

I am not a meal planner either. I will spend four hours futzing with a format or reading blog after blog, look around and realize instill have to make dinner and my kitchen is a wreck and have a panic attack.

Like Amy said, All of this Food Network, Top Chef stuff is entertaining but I agree with all the others. Simple stuff is perfect most meals of the week. You don't need a marinade and a sauce and a spice rub for each component of your dish. Save that stuff for a special Sat or Sun night dinner.

For the last two weeks I've relied on big hunks if meat (pork shoulder, beef brisket) I painlessly cook overnight and eat for two meals a day with a simple veg. If it's something you like, keep eating it. My other go-to is browned ground beef over a sweet pot. I cook a bunch of those on the weekend. (That and broth is my "cook up.") For handheld lunch, what about meatballs you can add veggies to and some raw veg (if you can do those) on the side?

I cannot offer anything more on weightloss, but everything I've read indicates MM is correct about IF, especially for women, and doubly especially for women who are still carrying excess weight.

[Moluv]

I have followed the AIP protocol in conjunction with IBS protocol (I don't have an ai disorder, I just react to everything it eliminates) and I had to give up my mayo too. I thought the small amount of egg as condiment would not cause a problem, but the longer I was off of eggs as a meal component the more I became aware of subtle reaction to the mayo- mostly muscle weakness and fatigue immediately after the meal. The albumin in eggwhites is very reactive for people with leaky guts and if you have that type of situation I believe even a small amount could hinder your healing. I am post w-30 but still follow very near to the IBS protocol as well as I feel like those recommendations improved my digestion and improved the integrity of my gut. My body fat did not change at all during 3 months of w30 eating and I think the gut healing prioritizes itself over weightloss. Inflammation in the body will cause fat to not budge. Address the inflammation with diet tweeks, reducing stress, improving sleep, self-care and loving acceptance o where you are right now. I looked at your picture and I think you have a beautiful figure, a body easy to love.

And a note on recipes- on AIP I don't even bother. It just makes me mad and think about what I can't have. I'm with Beets- cook a hunk of meat and veg and call it good. Fancy not necessary.

[1Maryann]

I feel for you in the planning problems. I own my own business, which is open 6 days a week, and because it is a pet store, I still have to feed and clean on the day I am closed. That leaves me only half a day to do all my errands, food shopping, banking, doctor/dentist appts, housework, yard work, etc. So in the beginning, the cook-up was pushing everything else (especially house and yard) off the schedule. That wasn't sustainable long-term.

I have now found I can throw something in the crock pot, roast a few veggies, brown some ground beef, and that's about it, while I'm doing other things. By the time I get home from work and take care of the animals here, I need something quick to eat. I cannot spend two hours on a recipe. What I have found is that there are several hours between dinner and bedtime, and those hours can be used therapeutically to make something more elaborate for future meals. Besides, there's not much worth watching on tv. So a few nights a week, I cook for therapy after dinner.

[Bethann67]

Are you able to drink coffee? Even decaf? If so, I highly recommend bulletproof coffee.

It is a game changer! Provides steady, stable energy, tastes delicious, reduces or eliminates cravings, and between meal hunger, and best of all assists your body in becoming fat adapted (A very good thing!)

[befabdaily]

Things to eat out of hand while working: MEATBALLS. I am a freakin' meatball addict these days. They are so easy. I'm spending a fair amount of time dreaming up new meatball recipes, trying to get some savory flavors in there so they don't need a sauce. The mushroom meatball recipe that I posted in the recipes forum is my first big success.

[demos88]

I basically eat the same things over and over when I am doing a W30. Not much to worry about meal planning... but its not that awesome either.

[kew]

I can't think of anything you might eat with one hand AND no fork or spoon except a mug of soup...unless you want to experiment with stuffed cabbage leaf wraps, or something similar? That sounds like work, though! A hearty soup, pureed to make it drinkable, and brought to work in a big ol' thermos?

As for the idea of introducing other people to W30 and seeing them have great results....I remember similar experiences from dieting days past. I wish I were one of those "everything got better fast and I lost a dress size and ten pounds and, and and." But I'm not. It seems like EVERYONE does better with whatever it is, from Weight Watchers to Paleo than I have ever done. And that stinks -- but what stinks even more (for me and my mental health, that is; your mileage may vary) is the habit of comparison itself. I think of myself as a basically decent person, but I fall so easily into the odious vicious comparisons which do me no good at all. Negative self-talk is even more addictive than cookies or wine to me...and it doesn't even taste good! I don't have this issue licked, but I am increasingly aware of it, and periodically I start to counter it actively by remind myself NOT to compare by telling myself something like 'everyone is human, everyone is striving.' When I remember to remember, it does help.

I hope none of this sounds like boot-strapping.... and good luck.