Found it difficult to eat today...

[sahmomto2]

Today is day 9. At first I was having trouble eating enough food, and Tom suggested spreading it out over four meals instead of three. I did that for about 5 days, and appreciated the suggestion, as it made the gs so much easier, but today I just couldn't do it.

I tried to force myself to eat all my breakfast, mixed baby greens with warm leftover taco meat, salsa and avocado. It really tasted good when I took the first few bites, but less than a quarter of the way in, I felt full. I wasn't even beginning to be hungry by 2:00. I forced myself to eat a hard-boiled egg and a few small pieces of the mango my daughter was cutting into.

Dinner was about 6:30, and I had three not-very-big salmon patties and some asparagus with melted ghee poured over and some lemon juice. Again I had to force the asparagus down. It was delicious; my teens even liked the salmon patties (from ISWF), and I love asparagus. But I was full after just a few bites.

I know I didn't have enough fat today, or enough food in total, but I couldn't have eaten another bite if my life depended on it. Maybe my appetite will be back tomorrow, but if not, what do you suggest I try?

[kb0426]

Honestly, if you are feeling full, I would go with it.

I experienced the same exact thing during my first whole30. Foods I loved I could only eat a few bites; the thought of another bite made me nauseous.

I found it resolved all by itself around day 11.

Just my opinion! Hopefully others will weigh in!

[Terresa]

I went through several days of this as well. For me, it resolved itself, once I stopped worrying about it. Maybe it's something that some of us go through as our bodies adjust?

[Susan W]

This happens to me occasionally even after 5 W whatevers. I just seem to have a day or two when nothing sounds good. I just go with the flow and it seems to straighten out after 2-3 days.

[kb0426]

This happens to me occasionally even after 5 W whatevers. I just seem to have a day or two when nothing sounds good. I just go with the flow and it seems to straighten out after 2-3 days.

Good point! These seem to balance the days of "I just can't get enough food in my belly!"

[Susan W]

Good point! These seem to balance the days of "I just can't get enough food in my belly!"

Lol...yes, I have those days as well. I kind of love them. :0)

[Kirsteen]

Personally, as the others have said, I'd just go with the flow. I wouldn't worry about it, I'd just wait and see if it evens out. Even now, although I aim for the meal template, there are days when I'm not really hungry and I'm aware I haven't had enough to really meet it. Other days, as the saying goes, I could eat a scabby horse; if it's compliant and not nailed down, it'll get scarfed Just carry on making sure that what you do eat is nutritious and make sure everything you plan to eat is food you really, really love. Good luck

[sahmomto2]

Thanks for the support and encouragement. Trying to stick with four meals a day so as to get enough fat and calories in, until I start to feel like I can handle more at a time again. Or maybe I should stick with three so I get hungrier in between?

I had a pretty good breakfast, but couldn't eat more than a few bites of lunch, now having a few bites as a late afternoon meal 3 (it's 4pm here). Planning on dinner being at 7 or so. Hope I'm hungry by then.

Should have told you I'm 5'2" and 52 years old, and I haven't had a huge appetite the past few years. I'm also feeling a little "backed up" and thought that might be contributing to not feeling hungry, so I had a handful of prunes today hoping to "move things along" a little bit. Prunes are actually an enjoyed snack around here, though, so I need to watch going too far with that. I'm beginning to have a little bit of rumbling going on, thinking that's not a good sign?

[skyhunter]

Just started Whole30 5/31. Yesterday, day 1, I ate 3 meals although the last one was right before bed (although as it turned out I didn't fall asleep for hours afterwards). Today I slept until noon, and for meal 1 I ate a 4 oz turkey burger, some green beans and carrots with coconut/olive oil and balsamic vinegar and 1/2 an orange even though I was not hungry right after I woke up. About half way through the veggies and meat through I just felt like I'd throw up if I took another bite. I did make it through the turkey burger and ate some more beans and all the carrots; all told it took about 40 minutes to get that much food down. Now it's 6:30pm and although I am not really hungry, hubby is throwing some wild-caught salmon on the barby for me with some asparagus with coconut/olive oil and garlic. Sigh...more food, good as it sounds.

I had a lap band until 6 months ago and I'm just not used to huge quantities of food, which is what the meal template seems like to me. I know that this would not seem like a problem to many, who are still hungry on the meal template, but it's my reality. I am so looking forward to the leptin and insulin resistance reversal effect so that I will have responses such as hunger like a real person, but will that happen for me if I can't get enough food in? I am really worried because Whole30 seems like my only chance to assist my body back into functionality. For so many years I gained weight while eating very small amounts of healthy food - not quite as healthy as this eating plan, but nevertheless, it was real food not junk food. I am now at 250 (5'7") and 59 years old. Forty pounds of that was gained in the six months since my lap band was removed (due to severe GERD), although I maintain that I only deserved about 5-10 pounds of that gain from bad eating - the rest was whatever chemical thing my body is not doing, because I haven't been eating more than I did with the lap band from habit more than anything. I am just never hungry.

So here on Day 2 I ate at 12 and again at 7. Since I will probably go to bed early because of little sleep last night, no third meal. Tomorrow I will attempt to space them better and get three meals in, but I am still not likely to get in as much food as Whole30 would like. In your considered opinion, will that get better as I progress through the 30 days, as in, will I actually be hungry and able to eat all the food? If I can't, if I stop when I am full, will I still have a response with Whole30 or Whole45 or whatever eating less than described?

Please give me the benefit of your experience. Thanks in advance!

Lynne

[Terresa]

I also used to gain weight from eating to little. I spent the first few days of my 1st W30 logging my calories (doctor's suggestion to avoid falling below 1200c per day), but found that the stress was killing my appetite. I had to let go and trust the process, and eat what I could for a few days, while my body reclaimed its appetite and ability to feel hungry and full. I was able to stop taking a prescription antacid after the second week, after needing it daily for more than 2 years. Even in one month of getting off that medication and beginning to heal my digestive system, I began to lose weight.

Trust the process and your body. That is my best advice.

Good luck and great health!

[sahmomto2]

Well, it's going a little better. I've been able to get along with three meals the past few days, and have eaten pretty good sized meals. I think I had to stretch my stomach out a little bit :-). I do still feel backed up, and might do the prunes again this evening.

I've enjoyed having some new foods - learned how to make mayo, ghee, and baba ganoush, and the recipes in Practical Paleo have helped with increasing variety.