Can't Stand Meat

[DanielaWhole30]

Hello everybody,

 

My husband and I completed one Whole 30 two months ago and it went great...we felt awesome, no problems and it wasn't very hard to stay on it. I think it helped that we were both doing this together.

This is our second Whole 30 and we were planning on turning it into Whole 60 or Whole 90, but I have a problem.

I have never been too much of a "meat eater". I just have trouble eating the recommended amounts and sometimes I can't eat at all. We've tried different meats, different ways of cooking them, sometimes I can't even stand the smell of meat. I crave veggies, I could eat tons of that, but I know I need to get some protein in. I need help. Surely there are people out there that have had the same problem. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

[Tom Denham]

So eat fish and eggs for your protein. And by fish I mean fish, shrimp, squid, octopus, crab, etc. 

[DanielaWhole30]

I guess I should have been more specific. When I said meat I meant all kind of meat, including fish. I really need some help. I feel great when I eat like this, I would hate to have to stop this just because I can't stand meat. Do you think I should do what a vegetarian would do?

[GFChris]

Sounds like the vegetarian Whole30 is the way for you to go. 

Here is the vegetarian shopping list: http://whole9life.com/book/ISWF-Vegetarian-Shopping-List.pdf

[missmary]

I don't know if I would be so quick to go with the vegetarian whole30. The vegetarian whole30 has a lot of compromises in it to suit people who will not eat meat for ethical reasons, but it is not as healthy as the regular plan. I know personally I did not do well on a vegetarian diet, even though I persisted for many years and was a pretty "healthy" vegetarian eater for much of that time.

 

I'm wondering what was different about your whole30 two month ago to now. Is the meat aversion a new thing? or did you just deal with the aversion for the 30 days and now you feel differently because you would need to cope with it for long term?

 

Not knowing the answer to those questions, my thoughts would be: are there specific proteins or preparations that are better than others? Some people can't deal with meat texture, but can cope with ground meat, for example? Or do better with a dish with lots of ingredients, like a curry with veg and some meat vs. just a hunk of steak. If so, stick with those even if you sacrifice some variety. Rely on meats you can eat. If you can stomach a smaller portion, but a palm-size is too much, eat that. It is way better to have a little than none at all. Maybe try eating a smaller portion more often? IMO the health benefits are worth trying a lot of ideas and options until you find a balance that works for you. good luck.

 

The whole9 also did a piece on this issue. Worth a read: http://whole9life.com/2013/02/eating-meat-a-primer-for-the-meat-challenged-2/

[Renee Lee]

I'm with Mary. You aren't pregnant, are you?

 

Tough love time: I don't like paying my mortgage and would much rather spend it on skinny jeans and cole haan riding boots...but I really like having a roof over my head. I hate the effort involved in gardening, but I really like not spending money i don't have on organic kale, spinach and lavender.

 

We're adults. We all have to make choices that we don't like or aren't as fun as alternatives for "the greater good," whatever that might mean. You like how you feel when you eat according to the Whole30 principles...which includes a moderate amount of protein. You feel good, you know it's healthy for you, so you have a choice to make.

 

Personally, I'd experiment until I found a meat dish that i didn't hate or actually enjoyed and then just relied heavily on it.  Go towards the lower end of the protein recommendations (1 palm), and hang out there.

 

I totally hear you on force-feeding yourself with stuff you don't want to eat. When I was training 3 hrs a day for a competition, i had to eat a LOT of meat...to the point that i didn't want to even look at another pound of ground beef...but you gotta do what you gotta do for your goals, you know?