Veggie Girl Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 Please help! I'm on Day 17 of my first Whole 30. For days 1 – 12 the only problem I had was increased fatigue. The food part was easy-- I was rarely hungry, meals were satisfying, I didn't need to snack, and I never thought about food. I hit a wall on day 13. I started to have constant (and I mean constant!) cravings for whole wheat bread, ice cream, and chocolate. My exhaustion is through the roof. Most days I close my office door and take a nap during the day, and then sleep about 9 hours at night. I also have tremendous muscle fatigue—my legs feel like they're made of lead. Today I had such strong cravings that I had a snack about an hour after breakfast when I wasn't even hungry (see details below). I decided it's time to ask the community for help. My eating: Each meal I follow the same template: 1-2 palms protein; ½ to 1 cup starchy vegetables; 1 cup non-starchy vegetables sautéed or roasted in extra virgin olive oil; and ½ avocado or 1 closed handful macadamia or hazelnuts. I add a small fruit at Meals #2 and #3. I add 1-2 cups raw, non- starchy veggies to at least 2 of the 3 meals. So today's log looked like this: (I am not measuring or weighing my food, just wanted to give approximate amounts for clarification purposes). Meal 1: (8 AM) 3 eggs and about 2 oz smoked salmon; 1/2 cup canned pumpkin; about 1/3 sweet potato chunks roasted in oil; 1 cup veggies sautéed in oil (mushroom, red pepper, and scallions); handful of hazelnuts Snack 1: (9:30 AM) (I wasn't even hungry, just trying to distract myself from craving. This is the first time I've done this since starting whole 30). Small peach, an egg, ¼ avocado. Tried to keep the snack small since I wasn't hungry. Meal 2: (1 PM) 5 oz turkey breast and one egg; ¾ cup canned pumpkin; 1 cup green beans roasted in oil; 1 cup raw jicama sticks, ½ avocado, handful of macadamia nuts Meal 3: (6:30 PM) Tuna patties made with 5 oz tuna and 1 egg; ¾ cup roasted sweet potatoes in oil; 2 cups raw salad veggies (lettuce, red pepper, carrots), 1 ½ cups cauliflower and green beans roasted in oil, 1/4 avocado; 1 cup of watermelon. Note: there was also a little more fat in the form of 2 tablespoons of almond flour and 1 tablespoon oil used to make tuna patties. About me: I am 5'4â€, mid 40's, weigh generally in the 122-124 range. I am the definition of “skinny fatâ€â€”very little muscle tone and accumulation of fat in the abdomen area. My diet prior to whole 30 was pretty clean—almost no sugar, almost no processed foods, no alcohol, and tons of veggies and fruits. In retrospect, I realize was not eating enough protein or fat, and got the bulk of calories from low fat dairy and whole grain carbs (bread, pasta, and beans). My typical exercise prior to Whole 30 was about 30 minutes daily on the elliptical machine at a brisk pace. The rest of the day I am mostly sedentary. Since starting whole 30 both my pace and the duration on the elliptical have decreased due to exhaustion. I started whole 30 mainly to help with fatigue, but it's only gotten much, much worse. The only thing that changed on Day 13 was that I was supposed to get my period that day. It now 4 days late (but I know I'm not pregnant). Please help me stay on course and resist the cravings -- any ideas would be welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photo_Mom Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 I'm far from an expert but want to encourage you to stick with it. What if you substituted olives for the nuts? I was wheat free for a year before starting my Whole30 September 2nd. I remember how long it took to get completely over not having wheat. You might still be experiencing wheat withdrawal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Strathdee Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 Hi there! I know it's been several days since you posted - how about a check in? How are things going for you now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veggie Girl Posted October 8, 2013 Author Share Posted October 8, 2013 Thanks photo mom and Robin. My posts keep getting deleted. Hopefully this one wont. Will check back in when forum technical problems are resolved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veggie Girl Posted October 11, 2013 Author Share Posted October 11, 2013 Things are so much better! They improved dramatically when I got my period on day 22. Cravings significantly reduced-- they are still there but completely manageable. I am not quite as satisfied by meals as I was on days 1-13, but I am usually satiated for about 4 hours (instead of the 6 hours I lasted on Days 1- 13). So if I need a snack between lunch and dinner I just follow the "mini meal template" and I'm fine. What was key for me was allowing myself to meet my physical hunger needs (one day I ate 8 oz. of turkey breast for the protein part of my meal at lunch!) instead of worrying about calories, eating too much, or gaining weight. I also allowed myself to eat some compliant foods when I wasn't hungry if I was really craving, using the "mini meal template," because I figured it was better than just giving up. I am feeling a little less fatigued but nowhere near where I want to be. But I have a tiny bit more energy each day so I'm hopeful. I will be honest and say the only reason I didn't give up around day 20 was sheer social embarrassment-- I had been talking constantly about Whole30 to friends and family based on my experiences Day 1- 13 and I was just too embarrassed to say I had decided to stop. So not the best reason for continuing, but it got me over the difficult part. If you are reading this because you need encouragement, all I can say is try to stick with it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Want2BHealthy Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 I think I've been doing it wrong, your meals sound amazing! Glad you feel better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veggie Girl Posted October 12, 2013 Author Share Posted October 12, 2013 Thanks Want2BHealthy! Do you have a copy of ISWF and/or the meal planning template from the website? I just follow those. Also on the advice of other forum members I make sure to include a starchy vegetable at every meal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Applegirl Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 "I will be honest and say the only reason I didn't give up around day 20 was sheer social embarrassment-- I had been talking constantly about Whole30 to friends and family based on my experiences Day 1- 13 and I was just too embarrassed to say I had decided to stop. So not the best reason for continuing, but it got me over the difficult part. If you are reading this because you need encouragement, all I can say is try to stick with it!" Vegi GIrl, So glad you're feeling better. I had to laugh at this, as I find that to be true with me too! I don't know if it's pride or accountability, but if it keeps us on track, that's all that matters! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Want2BHealthy Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Yea, but I thought the fat with every meal included the oil you cook it in, and by "occasional" fruit I thought it meant like twice a week! I was starving myself:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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