Struggling with eating enough food

[Psirene]

Hi everyone.

 

I'm on day 4 of my Whole30, and am having some problems with eating enough. I hope some of  you might have some advice.

 

I know you're supposed to aim for three solid meals (with mini meals added in per activity level or need). And that if you find yourself hungry, or snacking, that you should make your meals bigger to avoid such.

 

In the morning, though, I just don't seem to be able to eat very much. Like, I'll have half of what I aimed to, because I feel physically full and food starts to look revolting. Then I'm hungry 2-3 hours later. Rinse, lather, repeat.

 

I have been eating not enough for a very. long. time. Ten years ago, in response to digestive illness, my acupuncturist at the time took me off of coffee, dairy, raw fruits and veg (too hard on my system), and fruit juice. Many years later, it occurred to me that reducing me calories was getting me nowhere (you're overweight? Eat less, duh.), so I tried increasing my calories (which was HARD, and I had to plan the hell out of everything). I increased from 1200/day to 1800/day, 100 cals per week. And I started losing weight, for the first time in my life. 

 

Then it was suspected I had candida, so I dropped wheat, sugar, alcohol, dairy (I'd been doing a little non-cow dairy once or twice a week), and most grains. And the good caloric intake fell by the wayside, as did the weight loss. But I was still carb-heavy, so a few years later, I aimed to eat less carbs. I'd already cut out most soy and corn, due to sensitivities.

 

So, here I come into Whole30, where most of those things are SOP. Which is good, because it means y'all get it. 

 

But, I still struggle with eating enough. I tracked my meals using MyFitnessPal for the first few days of my whole30, because I wanted to track what I was eating versus how I was feeling. But then I realized that level of detail was screwing me up, because I'd see that I'd only had 1300 cals for the day, but didn't feel I could eat anymore, and was forcing myself beyond comfort to eat more food... gah. So, I've stopped that, and note my foods in a paper journal (just what I ate, not how much, so I can have data for how I feel). From those few days, my breakfasts were about 200-300 cals. Lunch and dinner tend to be better, but breakfast is... tough. Especially tough to eat within an hour of waking. An hour of waking, I'm on the road to work. Before that, I have little time and NO appetite. On the weekends, I usually wake around 8a and breakfast around 1030a, and by then, I can eat a little more. 

 

I struggle to eat two eggs with breakfast, and the idea of more than that is ... nauseating. I've even started taking my enzymes again to help with breakfast, and it doesn't seem to be helping. It helps with lunch, but breakfast is still my bane.

 

 

If I wasn't following whole30, I'd have a small breakfast at 8a, and then another small breakfast at 1030a, lunch at 1-2p, and dinner at 6p. But that doesn't seem to fall in with how whole30 should be done.

 

For reference, I'm 36, 5'3", and 210 lbs as of day 1. Happily I have good curves and my waist-to-hip ratio rocks, even if my BMI doesn't.

 

I _want_ to eat more. I know that my body likes more, better food. But I'm just having problems with the, well, physical aspect of it. Like, I eat, my stomach tells me its full, but sometimes I even still feel hungry, but if I keep eating I feel even fuller. It's very confusing. :/

 

Halp? Happy to supply more information, just didn't want to write even more of a novel as my first post.

 

 

 

[amberino21]

There are a few people who start off with more meals - I think your 4 meal timeline sounds pretty good to be honest! Maybe start planning 4 meals for a while, make sure they're fitting the template (not just a piece of fruit or handful of nuts)

You may find that after a while you're body will adapt to more food and you can go for 3 meals

[Physibeth]

Exactly what Amber said. If you have been chronically undereating and not eating breakfast it will take your body time to adjust. Do what works to keep yourself fed and make sure every time you eat it fits the template at least in ratio if not in volume. 

 

As far as getting enough calories make sure you are having healthy approved fat with every meal. When you cut grains and legumes out it leaves a HUGE calorie deficit.

[Psirene]

Thanks, guys.

 

I do definitely eat breakfast, even before whole30. Sometimes a little late, but I do, otherwise I am cranky miss crankypants. 

Thanks for the support on the 4 meal thing - I'm trying so hard to do my first whole30 by the book, so I can get the most benefit, but damn if it's not tough changing food (even if it's only non-wheat grains (as I was already wheat-free) and a little sugar for me) AND changing patterns/habits (how much I eat and when) too.

 

I struggle with the fat thing, 'cause I don't often do avocados and my body hasn't liked coconut for a while (but I'm challenging that a bit, since it's been so long since I've had it). Previously, most of my solid fat would come from tasty butter on gf bread. Or on veggies (must remember to use ghee in the same way). I'm using very generous amounts of ghee and olive oil, though. I'm trying to incorporate the avocado, but only seem to be able to stomach a 1/4 of an avocado at a time. Going through the olives in the fridge, though I forget that, sometimes. I'm making olive oil-heavy salad dressings (vinaigrette, etc).

 

Emergency snacks tend to be an apple and a good bit of almond butter (2-3 Tbsb).

 

I'd say my caloric intake, on average, for the last 15 years has been 1000-1500 per day, regardless of activity. I'm expect it was more, before I gave up dairy and then sugar, but after that... *shrug* 

 

How crucial is it to get breakfast in within that first hour? Like, could I make up a fritatta (which, a slice on its own, I don't think would be enough to qualify as a meal), nom on it while I'm getting ready for work or even in the car, and then have the "rest" of breakfast once I get to work? I notice I tend to get hungry almost exactly one hour after waking. Which is when I'm in the car. I already get up at 6a, and damn I need my sleep. The earlier I wake up, the longer it takes for me to be hungry. 

[Renee Lee]

I'd really try to get SOMETHING in first thing in the morning. I really like your fritatta idea. You're right that one slice wouldn't normally be "enough," but grabbing it (or one of those egg&veggie muffins) on your way out the door is definitely going to start sending your body the right signals. Eat a normal sized meal once you get to work around 10ish.

 

I also struggled with eating enough, because i just WASN'T hungry (actually, this still happens to me on occasion), and I found it helpful to have some starchy veggies in the morning. they're less satiating than the protein and fat, so you'll get hungrier faster if you eat 'em.

 

So maybe that egg fritatta slice and a banana? (or sweet potatoes, but they don't travel well)

 

ymmv

[Psirene]

My kitchen hardware is more suited to fritatta than eggy muffins (I tried, but my ancient muffin tin... well, let's just say it's STILL stuck with baked on egg gunk), plus it's still summer here and I do my best to not use the oven when it's 100+ outside (which is until late October).

 

I'm also often not hungry. Or I physically feel hungry (belly-wise), but I don't want to eat. I have enough food sensitivities, many of which make me feel like poo if I eat them, that my brain started saying "okay, well, if food causes pain, then no food equals no pain, so boom, you're not hungry anymore". Not horribly useful. 

 

I like apples... bananas have such a short lifespan for me (I like them when they're just barely green at the tops, otherwise they're too sweet)... is banana better 'cause it's more starchy? Or is it just "a fruit" kind of thing? Or I could do like an apple and jicama munch/nibble thing. 

 

Regarding sweet potatoes... holy cats, sweet potatoes done up like crispy home fries in ghee? *swoon* I don't always like sweet potatoes, but when I do, they're like manna.

 

Thank you for your help.

[Renee Lee]

My kitchen hardware is more suited to fritatta than eggy muffins (I tried, but my ancient muffin tin... well, let's just say it's STILL stuck with baked on egg gunk), plus it's still summer here and I do my best to not use the oven when it's 100+ outside (which is until late October).

 

I'm also often not hungry. Or I physically feel hungry (belly-wise), but I don't want to eat. I have enough food sensitivities, many of which make me feel like poo if I eat them, that my brain started saying "okay, well, if food causes pain, then no food equals no pain, so boom, you're not hungry anymore". Not horribly useful. 

 

I like apples... bananas have such a short lifespan for me (I like them when they're just barely green at the tops, otherwise they're too sweet)... is banana better 'cause it's more starchy? Or is it just "a fruit" kind of thing? Or I could do like an apple and jicama munch/nibble thing. 

 

Regarding sweet potatoes... holy cats, sweet potatoes done up like crispy home fries in ghee? *swoon* I don't always like sweet potatoes, but when I do, they're like manna.

 

Thank you for your help.

I said banana because it's starchy and portable. I'd go sweet potatoes > Banana > grapes/berries > apple/pear/orange

[Psirene]

Gotcha. Thanks.

 

Hmm. I could make some sort of sweet potato patties... mashed sweet potato, a bit of egg, some salt, cooked/pan fried in ghee. 

 

Damn. I'm drooling. 

 

*puts more sweet potatoes on the shopping list*

[Heidi Staddon]

Hey there, I'm glad you said what you did about your experience with the cal counting app.

I hate calorie counting! I hate tracking in a food log. But recently I did both just to get an idea about where I was. To see if I was under eating or overeating. One week and I found myself eating based on the #s. as in, if I felt satisfied but my count was low, I'd keep eating. Or I would stop and continue to be hungry if the daily target was reached. I stopped adding in garlic scapes because they were 100cals per half cup.

What the what??

I stopped the craziness. But am still hanging on to question "am I getting enough" since I'm looking and feeling heavier, as opposed to lighter/smaller. Weird

[Psirene]

I made a fritatta yesterday - Italian sausage, sauteed onions and mushrooms, and a few handfuls of "power greens"... and a dozen eggs. Didn't manage to get food in me within that hour timeframe, but under two hours at least. I'm going to have to start waking up earlier in order to eat while I'm at home. Meh.

I didn't get all the veggies in I needed, but I did have some mashed sweet potato with ghee and butter, and a pear. 

 

I've also found that weekends are tough to eat right... we don't always have a proper "dinner" and often just eat up leftovers. But I don't think that's gonna work with the whole30. I had leftover roast with guacamole, tinned sardines with ... guacamole... not great, but at least it was food. I did make my own mayo (awesome and scary) and dammit I made some egg salad. Which I found isn't as fabulous without being on a sammich. Oh well.

[Psirene]

Hey there, I'm glad you said what you did about your experience with the cal counting app.

I hate calorie counting! I hate tracking in a food log. But recently I did both just to get an idea about where I was. To see if I was under eating or overeating. One week and I found myself eating based on the #s. as in, if I felt satisfied but my count was low, I'd keep eating. Or I would stop and continue to be hungry if the daily target was reached. I stopped adding in garlic scapes because they were 100cals per half cup.

What the what??

I stopped the craziness. But am still hanging on to question "am I getting enough" since I'm looking and feeling heavier, as opposed to lighter/smaller. Weird

 

 

Are you seeing yourself heavier, or are your clothes fitting more tightly? I know I have some body dysmorphia, which affects how I view myself. If you are truly heavier... maybe you increased calories too quickly? Or, like you're thinking, you're not getting enough. 

 

FWIW, I'm jealous you have garlic scapes. Sounds so good.