Am I really 9 days behind on the timeline?

[LaurenA]

Hello all!

 

Today is day 16 of the Whole60 that I'm doing. By now I was hoping to expect some kind of energy increase and, let's just say some things beginning to firm up. I don't feel any smaller. In fact, I feel like I'm still in MY PANTS ARE TIGHTER on the timeline, but that should have past 9 days ago. Is it possible to be that far behind on the timeline? I seem to be still struggling with lack of energy to do much, and I get terribly bloated after lunch and dinner. I haven't had anything that isn't Whole30 approved so I don't know why I'm not getting better. I'm not sleeping any better, it's still extremely difficult to wake up even after 9+ hours of sleep, and I just feel....sluggish and generally "meh". All day. I want to go back to the gym because it makes my body feel better, more loose and limber, but I just can't muster the energy. A typical day of food looks like;

 

Breakfast -

2 eggs cooked usually over medium (because that's my favorite. I can eat that every day forever)

1-2 servings of either broccoli, green beans, or cauliflower (steamed)

Occasionally I will eat a half serving of snow peas

1 handful of olives (sometimes a few cashews too, depending on how hungry I am)

1 mug of caffeine free Bengal Spice tea (it has no soy lecithin or added sweeteners)

 

Lunch -

1 serving of chicken breast or salmon (usually grilled on the George Foreman)

2 servings of whichever veggie I didn't eat for breakfast, or asparagus (steamed)

Every other day I eat a medium sweet potato

1 handful of olives again (I need to go get more olives and some other fat sources)

 

Dinner -

An almost identical copy of lunch. I sometimes switch which veggie it is, and I don't eat the sweet potato for dinner.

 

(Yes, this is a boring meal plan. This is all I have until payday, when I can get more variety.)

 

What can be changed to get me out of this funk I seem to be in?

[GFChris]

Swap out some of your current vegetables to incorporate carb-dense vegetables daily.  That includes sweet potatoes, winter squash, beets, carrots, jicama, plantains, rutabaga and parsnips.

 

Some folks are bothered by bloating from eating veggies like cauliflower and broccoli. Maybe take a break from those for a bit and see what happens?

[Guest]

I wonder if you are getting enough food?  A palm of eggs is as many as you can hold...that is the minimum of what you should eat.  So, 3 to four eggs is normal for many people here.

 

As for veggies, I don't know what your servings are, but one serving would probably not count as filling the plate, so you are probably starting each day with a deficit.

 

Three eggs, two to three servings of veggies, adding more starches, and moving away from the broccoli and cauliflower...one or all of these might help you.  And, depending on what your diet was like before, medical conditions, other stressors, etc., there may just be a chance that you are that far behind.  I'd vote for not eating enough, though.

[LaurenA]

Nico, I was wondering if I was eating enough when I first started but I quickly came to realize that I am satisfied by 2 cups of a vegetable. Should I try to eat more and just deal with feeling overly full and uncomfortable? Or would this be solved by eating more carb dense vegetables because they tend to be higher in calories?

[Guest]

Tom Denham often advises people to add an extra meal if they can't fit enough food into the three meals.  Maybe that would help you.  I went with just increasing my food intake, cooking my veggies so I could get more in, and loving the feeling of being full after ages of eating tiny meals that were so unsatisfying.  My husband gets full fast, but is still hungry before his next meal, so we're going to try adding a fourth meal for him.  

 

Many of our days start with sweet potato, animal protein, and eggs to stretch the protein.  We never finish a whole sweet potato together, so just a touch.  We often have mushrooms and kale or spinach as well.  Maybe the starchies will help you with your budget and with energy.

 

When I first got here, a lot of people said that having a too small breakfast was hard to overcome as far as energy and hunger go.  That's how I triggered on your one egg and one to two veggies.

[LaurenA]

Is it okay to eat another meal when you're not hungry on the Whole30? I'm worried about gaining weight by getting into the habit of eating when I'm not hungry. Losing weight was literally the only reason I'm doing this (well, plus energy boost) and I am not hungry between meals. I can skip meals if I absolutely have to without feeling like I'm dying, but I try very hard not to do that.

[Guest]

That is a tough question.  I have always read to trust the template for 30 days while your body adapts and you learn to read your body.  It doesn't seem like you are following the template with such a small breakfast.  You aren't "hungry", but you aren't feeling well.  Maybe some starchy veggies will help.

 

Do you cook your veggies or eat them raw?

[Physibeth]

If you have trained your body to expect very little food than it is going to take a while for your hunger cues to catch up. If you are not hungry between meals than I would say don't eat between meals but prepare every meal to the template and try to get through it as best you can. Space them as far apart as you need to making sure the first is within an hour of waking and the last is about 2 hours before bed. Definitely stick to cooked veggies for now. You may also want to look into digestive enzymes especially if eating this much protein and fat is new to you. And yes, starchy veggies for energy. 

[Guest]

Thanks, Physibeth!

 

And, don't forget hydration.  Water is part of your energy source.  I hydrate between meals for the most part to aid digestion and to keep from filling up on liquids.