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Am I really doing W30 or does it not count?


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Hi,

I'm coming to W30 with a pretty serious eating disorder of compulsive eating. I'm on Day 7 and have been 100% compliant in terms of *what* I am eating (which is huge for me!) but I'm still snacking at night. I finish my template dinner and then I start eating raisins, fruit, little bits of leftover dinner, etc. I'm trying to reign it in as it's the eating disorder coming out, and I figured it would take a week or so to get it under control. My question is, does this all not count as W30 because I'm "snacking"? I only do it after dinner and it's all compliant foods. I'm trying to just add them to my dinner which has led to massively too big dinners, in some cases, but far less "snacking" after.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

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Granting that you're eating dinner according to template, my suggestion is that you increase your portions (adding your "snacks" to dinner is a good idea). But not just dinner: all meals -- because the hunger at night starts from the undereating at breakfast. Make it a big breakfast. I know this is scary given your disorder, but do not hold back, count calories, or restrict yourself during your main meals; eat your fill. For at least 30 days, you are given permission. :-) If you're eating the right amounts (and not just the right meal elements), you will not feel like snacking because you'll be too full to snack.

 

Snacking per se doesn't mean you're not following Whole30. But you will not get as much benefit from it if you continue to do it.

 

Hope this helps. Good luck!

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I think it's a mental thing I've had issues with compulsive eating too and I'm pregnant so I'm always hungers anyway I've tried to add fruit in with my dinner because I was doing the same thing. It will tke time to get over your ED just keep going and it should help. good Luck I hope this helps you. I started it because I started to binge on lots of sugar and was getting way out of control. When I have cut sugar out before I would still eat to much food focusing on just added sugar like coolkie and sweets Not so much breads and etc. so I started doing this to help with all the foods. good Luck

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Sorry for the delayed reply. Thank you both so much for the input and encouragement. I'm still leaning toward sugary stuff (fruit, raisins) when I do snack but per GlennR's suggestion, also trying to ramp up my breakfast. It's difficult since I have so little time between getting home from 5am workout and turning around and bringing my kid to school and going to work. Today I brought breakfast to my work and ate there. Not ideal but better than skipping it !

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As has been said already, you are still doing W30 but not optimally. Snacking on fruit and raisins will keep you in the sugar cycle that the program is trying to break. Eating larger meals at all 3 meal times is a great suggestion and hopefully will help.

 

Are you eating anything before your 5am work out? If you are not, try having something small that is just protein and fat before you work out. A hard boiled egg with some homemade mayo perhaps. Then right after your workout try to have some lean protein and starchy vegetable like chicken breast and sweet potato. This gets your day front loaded with some food and will help recovery and than eating your regular meal 1 at work won't be your first food of the day. 

 

When you are eating after dinner are you hungry or just craving things? Like if the only thing available to eat was plain steamed fish and plain broccoli (or something equally as bland) would you still eat? My suggestion is once your are done with your 3rd meal close the kitchen (clean it up and put up a sign if you need to) and find something else to do to distract yourself. This is something I have struggled with too but retraining that after dinner time is going to be key to long term success. If you are still hungry after dinner reach for protein and fat instead of fruit. I might also suggest hiding/getting rid of any dried fruit until you feel like this is more under control. 

 

Hope these suggestions are helpful and you can finish your W30 strong with great new habits!

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Thanks, Bethany. The issue I have is not knowing whether I snack bc I'm hungry or bc it's habit/sugar demon. Same with the brocolli test (I could ask myself if I am hungry enough to eat a pile of dirt and I'd probably go ahead and say yes). That's the grip of the eating disorder that I'm trying to move away from. I'd love to get rid of all the dried fruits in the house but my husband eats them endlessly so I can't. I did have him move them to the top of the cabinets (literally on top... He's 6'1 and I'm 5'1!) But I usually manage to climb up and get to them anyhow so it's not a great deterrent. I think if I focus on the snacking as being what it is... Feeding the sugar dragon, then I might have a better chance of overcoming it but to everyone's point, eating bigger meals is a little scary!

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I know it is scary to eat bigger meals. I was scared too. Do it gradually. Perhaps focus on not snacking on fruit first and then move on to not snacking. So after dinner when you feel the need for that fruit eat protein and fat not fruit. This retrains the craving cycle. If you keep doing that you may find you don't need it or want it after a while. This is where the hard work comes and I completely understand that. Be your own champion and make the change! 

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I am in a similar situation to the OP.  I thankfully can keep dried fruit and lara bars out of the house, for now, but I am still over snacking on fruit.  Thank you for your thoughtful replies!  Excited to put some of these tips into action!

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The "steamed fish and broccoli" test has never worked for me, because a.) I genuinely enjoy plain fish and broccoli, and b.) when that ED urge to eat shows up, I will binge on a jar of mustard if that's all that's in the house.

So I hear you. It's hard. It's also doable.

I just finished reading 'Brain Over Binge' by Kathryn Hansen, and that was IMMENSELY helpful to me. It completely changed my relationship with my eating disorder. I HIGHLY recommend it.

In terms of Whole30, I've been through several and I'm still learning how to eat enough. I've discovered that eating enough really keeps the binge urges to a minimum. I often feel better eating four meals on the smaller end of the template (as opposed to three big meals).

Keep working at it--and acknowledge the positive changes you've already made!

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I found it difficult, many times, to eat as much as recommended, especially at meal 1. I also found if I did not eat the full meal, I would get really hungry before the next meal. So I made sure to finish my meals, and I still lost 10 lbs (and I honestly didn't think I had any to lose at all).

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What if when you are hungry at night you have a mini meal? (As per the template w meat + veg + fat.) These are always so much more helpful than a handful of compliant but sugary foods. 

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Hi and sorry! I just got to these now. Good suggestions all. Thank you. Beets (hello, neighbor!) I have been trying to go for the template snack which, strangely, feels like way too much food and although I've been having it, I can see my brain saying "Wait, you don't need this!" which is good - because I think it's me learning that the snacking isn't doing anything/helpful.

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