Frist time Whole30, Day 2, struggling

[Spaceboyuk]

Hello fellow whole30'ers!  Never thought I'd be saying that

 

Reason for starting... I've found recently that despite eating plenty of "food", I simply have no energy.  My wife has just completed her first Whole30 and recommended it, so I'm giving it a try.

 

Old diet... I used "food" in quotes above as I used to eat a LOT of food, probably around 3,000 cals per day.  I'm not fat by any stretch but a little overweight (5'8", 13.5 Stone, and a fair bit of muscle).  I'd eat quite a lot of meat, and all-of-the-carbs!  Lots of bread, pasta, crisps, rice, potatoes and biscuits/chocolate.

 

I'm on Day2 and I'm really craving the processed carbs, and missing my snacks (mid-morning, and late night).

 

I'm also really really tired - I imagine due to the lack of sugar/carbs that my body would usually use for energy?

 

Any tips appreciated, especially with the snacking!

 

Thanks

 

/edit: Forgot to mention, not a big veg eater at all... Mushrooms, carrotts, swede, and sweetcorn were about the only veg I ate regularly lol

[GFChris]

It's hard to give you tips without seeing what you've been eating the past couple days.

First, be sure you're following the allotted amounts in the meal template, especially fats and vegetables. http://whole9life.com/book/ISWF-Meal-Planning-Template.pdf

Regarding avoiding snacking between meals, some folks find a starchy veg at breakfast helps (e.g., sweet potatoes, turnips).

If you do feel hungry in between meals, first try drinking water (including sparkling) or tea. If that doesn't help, have a snack of a protein and fat.

Yes, being tired is normal for the first week or so. Here's the timeline of how you can expect to feel during the Whole30. http://whole9life.com/2012/06/the-whole30-timeline/

[Spaceboyuk]

Thanks for the reply.

Yesterday, breakfast was bacon and shroom omelette, lunch was tuna wrapped in lettuce, dinner was bison steak, and shroom.

Today was bacon and eggs for breakfast, scotch eggs and bacon for lunch.

Missing tea as I usually have milk and sugar, had a black tea this morning, wasn't very nice lol.

Drinking lots of water but still craving lol.

[GFChris]

Definitely add more veggies. Shoot for 1-2 cups per meal.

[PamH]

Now is the time to expand your taste for veggies!  Leafy greens, bell peppers, sweet potato?  One of my favorite carb meals is a baked sweet potato loaded with sauteed mushrooms and onions with lots of different spices (and ghee).  AVOCADO

 

If you like coconut, get your hands on some coconut milk (full fat) and use it in your tea.  It is best if you have a small hand held blender or frother so you can emulsify.  Even putting it in a glass mason jar and shaking works (careful when you open it).  Coconut milk has enough natural sugar take the edge off of a black tea or coffee, but not enough to trigger cravings; at least for me.

 

Prepare some meals that will serve as left overs for breakfast to break the routine of bacon and eggs.  Is your bacon compliant?  No sugar?  I have so go-to meals that really are good in the morning, too.  I don't know what access you have to certain foods, but here goes:

 

http://realfoodfreaks.com/2012/06/14/mo-rockin-or-moroccan-beef-skillet/

 

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/crispy-carnitas/#axzz2VdBHljm3

 

http://steakandsass.com/2013/05/10/sticky-dukkah-chicken-thighs/

 

http://paleospirit.com/2012/basic-paleo-egg-muffins/   can use the left over carnitas or mo-rockin meat in this, too

 

http://fastpaleo.com/spaghetti-squash-w-chicken-bacon-pesto/  skip the parmesan

 

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/crispy-chicken-thighs-00100000079759/index.html   messy grease to clean!

 

http://realfoodfreaks.com/2013/02/22/pakistani-kima/

 

http://www.cookinglight.com/food/everyday-menus/healthy-budget-recipes-00400000056656/page93.html   skip the polenta

 

http://www.janespice.com/recipes/bobby-flays-16-spice-rub-for-chicken   This makes some great chicken and enough to keep for later

 

http://everydaypaleo.com/sausage-n-cabbage-noodles-with-fried-apples/

 

http://www.foodrenegade.com/bacon-wrapped-sweet-potato-bites/   If your bacon is Whole30 compliant!  Oh, yum

 

Lots of fun projects!   Feeling tired and cranky and craving mightily is so common.  Your body and brain are desperate to hold on to habits (good and bad).  Now  that you are removing processed foods, make sure you add salt to your diet and stay hydrated.  Pay attention to adding fats to your meal to help those snack urges.  Use nuts and dried fruits sparingly as snacks in my opinion.  Season your food well to make it exciting!  Stay active and have fun!

 

The cravings and urges really do go away or greatly diminish after the first few weeks.  I am the worst of the chocoholics and I've been chocolate/sugar free for 47 of the last 50 days!  Still working to put 30 consecutive days together of Whole30 but it is a learning process for me.

 

~Pam

[Spaceboyuk]

Many thanks Chris, and thank you Pam for such a detailed reply

Trouble is, I've never really liked veg barring the few mentioned above (swede, shrooms, carrotts are the only whole30 friendly I eat regularly).

I'm trying to expand, with seasoning - tonight I'm venturing some spinach leaves and garlic olive oil as a filler alongside bolognaise and sweet potato skins.

Having my wife supporting me is massively helpful as she already knows the ins and outs, but we'll take a look at those recipe ideas thankyou again Pam!

Bacon is compliant - straight from the butcher, nothing added! Om nom nom

[Spaceboyuk]

Vanilla Chai tea with coconut milk may not be my usual cup of tea, but it might just save this diet

[Physibeth]

I didn't like a large range of vegetables before going Paleo either. You will find that your tastes will change. Try adding at least 1 or 2 new veggies a week. Give each new veggie more than one try. Try different prep methods too. If you can get your hands on a cauliflower you can make some excellent faux-tatoes. They are lovely!