New to Paleo

[Jillc5229]

I'm a 33 year old wife and mother of two. My most significant health issue is being a survivor of ovarian cancer. Diagnosed seven years ago and cancer free for 3? 4? years (you would think you could never forget something like that). I've been through numerous surgeries and chemo twice (three times if you count a year of maintenence chemo in between recurrences). I've struggled with being overweight for most of my life and at a few points felt truly healthy and athletic - able to run, rollarblade, downhill ski. I have either struggled with that sugar dragon with no self control or had a 'healthy' (SAD) diet. As an adult, found success with Weight Watchers (more than once, but not sustained) and last fall I began a program called Ideal Protein (principled on putting your body into ketosis for the weight loss period, then maintaining by never eating fats and carbs together.) As part of my cancer treatment I have been in menopause for three years, the symptoms which are miserable at times were alleviated as I lost weight and the stored estrogen was released into my system. I did fine with the ketosis diet, losing 70 lbs. During the weight loss I was plagued by lack of energy/foggy head (remedied by taking salt as a supplement) and constipation (remedied with Citrucel pills).

 

I've owned the book It Starts With Food for a long time, and have always quite liked it - the science and humor that makes it readable are great. However, I have could never quite commit to a paleo style diet. After surviving the ketosis diet, but coming out the other side struggling with maintenance, I would like to transition to whole foods/paleo lifestyle.

 

[Jillc5229]

So, I told my husband I am headed for a midlife crisis eating disorder at this rate. I am not up to a whole30 right now. I know I can do it, (the ketosis diet is similar, but with no fat or carbs, and I did that for six months!). But - after struggling with the emotional yo-yo of trying to maintain my weight loss I feel like I need a mental break and want to concentrate on eating good foods and feeling well.

 

I'd like to post here and beg for feedback, even though I'm not doing the whole30 directly. (I did a whole2 the first two days of this week. 1: My sugar dragon is solidly tamped down 2: I want to make this a lifestyle, not a diet that would cause me to rebound binge like I've struggled with recently. I know I need feedback and support to be successful and living a lifestyle vs dieting.

 

So, here is my day and I appreciate any feedback - better food combinations, timing, any advice in general!

Yesterday

Meal 1, 7:30 am) leftover spanish rice (made with riced cauliflower) PROTEIN/VEGGIES

-walk/jog 1/2-1 hr. push mowed lawn.

Meal 2, 9:30 am) half avocado, whole grapefruit. FAT/CARBS

-went to town, got _so hungry_                                                 why hungry? the carb/fat with no protein?

*Meal 3, 12:00 pm) two handfuls of organic trail mix - dried fruit, raw nuts & seeds - FAT/CARBS

Meal 4, 1:30 pm) taco salad - lettuce, tomato, whole avocado, 8 oz seasoned beef - FAT/PROTEIN

*Meal 5, 3:00 pm) handful of trail mix and handful of cashews - FAT/CARBS and FAT

Meal 6, 6:00 pm) leftover spanish rice again

Meal 7, 8:00 pm) 1" of 'paleo almond joy' recipe found online: 1 1/2 c Coconut, 1/4c Coconut butter, 1/c Coconut Oil, 2Tbsp Maple Syrup, 1 tsp vanilla extract, raw almonds, 1c Enjoy Life Choc Chips.

I was really please that this sweet bite didn't raise any Sugar Dragon. 

All meals feel heavy in my tummy, and I get very full. I wonder if I am just eating too much? I wanted to get away from snacking, but I literally get hunger pain. How can I get away from snacking?

[Tom Denham]

I moved your log to the Post Whole30 Log section since you are not doing a Whole30. The off plan things you are eating are not a problem there/here.

 

What you are doing is grazing when you get hungry. If you want to go longer between meals without feeling hungry, you will need to eat more classically composed meals with a good portion of protein, fat, and veggies. You left protein out frequently when you ate and ate snack foods that often do not satisfy people for long periods - nuts, dried fruit, etc. 

 

If you review the meal template and compose your meals as described, you are likely to stay satisfied 3-4 and even 5 hours without any difficulty.

[Jillc5229]

Thank you, I hadn't seen the post-whole30 thread!

Definitely guilty of being a grazer. I thought I was getting a good portion of protein with the spanish rice - 2# for approx 8 meals is approx 6-8 oz/serving. and the taco salad had the same. So, protein with my main meals but not counting the nuts as protein (i knew that, but probably subconsciously still thinking 'protein' at the time ) leaves my grazing not as beneficial as if it were a protein.

If I had made a point of adding the avocado and grapefruit to the spanish rice at 7am, would it have kept me from the extreme hunger I got while out grocery shopping?

What would be a good snack for such a situation - out and about?

Also, can you give any input on the constant 'heavy tummy' and this morning I had three eggs smashed with 1/2 avocado for breakfast. (whoops. no veggies there). I've felt sick to my stomach ever since I ate that. I have had very loose BMs this week. Am I just getting a stomach flu?

What should I eat when my stomach is upset? (guessing not the saltines and 7-up my Mom used to give me?

[Physibeth]

What is in the spanish rice recipe that has protein? If you are having a lot of stomach discomfort you might want to cut out nuts completely for a little while and possibly avoid cauliflower and broccoli for a little while as those things tend to be irritating. What is new to your meal plans since the stomach issues started?

 

If you can't handle real food right now homemade bone broth is good. You can add some well chopped up meat and some veggies to it. 

 

Do you have a copy of the meal template?

[Tom Denham]

Eggs and avocado is a good dose of fat. I have eaten the same meal many times, but you might have trouble digesting all the fat. Having a "heavy tummy" may reflect digestion issues. You might want to try taking digestive enzymes with meals for a while to see if it helps. Sometimes our gut bacteria is not ready for the food changes and takes a while to grow what it needs. 

 

I eat 3 extra large eggs and a big serving of sauerkraut for breakfast most mornings. That keeps me satisfied 4-5 hours. Different people respond to different foods and what works can change occasionally. For several years, I changed what I ate for breakfast every 3-4 months. Always eggs, but I would do boiled for a while, then baked, occasionally fried. I've been doing the scrambled eggs with sauerkraut for a year now. The most I change is the sauerkraut and sometimes I eat kimchi. 

 

You don't have to eat eggs at all. There is some good stuff in the yolks that I like to eat daily, but any protein is good. I find ground meat with greens, onions, and colorful bell pepper easy and I eat that at least once per day. For lunch I had a mass of wilted chard, collards, and something else with onions, yellow bell pepper, and sausage. 

 

I'm beginning to think that eating whole, fresh foods makes for more variability in our bowel movements that the standard American diet. Mine changes from day to day and it can take your body a while to adjust to all the veggies. 

[Jillc5229]

So today:

Meal 1, 7a.m.) 3 eggs, 1/2 avocado FAT/PROTEIN

 15 min walk

Meal*2, 11a.m.) 1/2c applesauce (stomach ache/queasy. This was soothing?)

Meal 3, noon) one can chicken with homemade mayo, raw veggies including carrots. FAT/PROTEIN/VEGGIES

Meal 3, 6p.m.) 2 eggs, 1/2 avocado, a sweet potato skillet fried in coconut oil! (this is first and YUM). FAT/PROTEIN/CARB

Meal*4, 8p.m.) 2" almond joy. FAT/CARBS (?)

 

Observations:

 

 - My stomach still is not feeling well, and my lack of energy was absolutely terrible, especially this afternoon. Not to mention I was muscle-sore (apparently from push-mowing yesterday?)

 

 - I can see from here that I really am getting a LOT of fat, and I was worried about it because you are SUPPOSED to eat so much. Coming off of the extremely low-fat ketosis diet I was on, that could be a big stomach upset. Is it okay to eat less fat, at least for now? What do you recommend at first?

 

 - We have been eating a ton of cauliflower, broccoli, cucumbers, sweet peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and zucchini. Two cups with lunch and supper plus unlimited lettuce. So that doesn't seem to be a change. I don't want to get into this almond-joy habit, either. It didn't trigger the sugar dragon, but a habit is a habit. How often is something like this a good thing?

 

 - can you please suggest what kind of digestive enzymes and a brand of sauerkraut I could possibly purchase? We are small-town and have a little health-food store, a Safeway and a Walmart. I know I don't want cooked kraut and wonder how to find it. Maybe that would help my stomach?

 

This forum is so wonderful, thank you all for your input!

[Jillc5229]

I cut back on the added fat yesterday and was feeling much better. Yesterday: meal 1 three eggs, one grapefruit. Meal 2 sweet potato skillet in coconut oil, one egg. Oh, I bought raw sauerkraut and had some of that- about 1/2 cup. Not my fave but I can eat it for health's sake. Had an almond Joy bite. Meal 3 had leftover Spanish Rice and one bite of spaghetti. Have meds to take before bed so had a banana then.

[Jillc5229]

Sunday:

meal 1 two eggs, sweet potatoes (is sweet potatoes a veggie or a carb? Do I need greens with it?)

Meal 2 lettuce salad, ranch dressing and 1/4 cup cottage cheese, 1/2 cup applesauce, apple slices, 1/2 cup sloppy Joe meat. And THEN I ate the oatmeal cookie I was 'watching'for my 3yo nephew, abandoned after they left. It was downhill from there. I ate three brownies, one bite at a time. Pulled pork on half of a bun, half cup of potato salad, fresh fruit, popcorn, a couple bites of ice cream cake, decaf coffee with cream and sugar. I haven't had sugar in i-don't-know-how-long. So I came home from the graduation reception, went for a walk and will post again tomorrow.

[Jillc5229]

Oh, had some homemade beef jerky and an apple for an evening snack.

[ShannonM816]

So today:

Meal 1, 7a.m.) 3 eggs, 1/2 avocado FAT/PROTEIN

 15 min walk

Meal*2, 11a.m.) 1/2c applesauce (stomach ache/queasy. This was soothing?)

Meal 3, noon) one can chicken with homemade mayo, raw veggies including carrots. FAT/PROTEIN/VEGGIES

Meal 3, 6p.m.) 2 eggs, 1/2 avocado, a sweet potato skillet fried in coconut oil! (this is first and YUM). FAT/PROTEIN/CARB

Meal*4, 8p.m.) 2" almond joy. FAT/CARBS (?)

 

Observations:

 

 - My stomach still is not feeling well, and my lack of energy was absolutely terrible, especially this afternoon. Not to mention I was muscle-sore (apparently from push-mowing yesterday?)

 

 - I can see from here that I really am getting a LOT of fat, and I was worried about it because you are SUPPOSED to eat so much. Coming off of the extremely low-fat ketosis diet I was on, that could be a big stomach upset. Is it okay to eat less fat, at least for now? What do you recommend at first?

 

 - We have been eating a ton of cauliflower, broccoli, cucumbers, sweet peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and zucchini. Two cups with lunch and supper plus unlimited lettuce. So that doesn't seem to be a change. I don't want to get into this almond-joy habit, either. It didn't trigger the sugar dragon, but a habit is a habit. How often is something like this a good thing?

 

 - can you please suggest what kind of digestive enzymes and a brand of sauerkraut I could possibly purchase? We are small-town and have a little health-food store, a Safeway and a Walmart. I know I don't want cooked kraut and wonder how to find it. Maybe that would help my stomach?

 

This forum is so wonderful, thank you all for your input!

 

Since nobody answered, I'll chime in with the sauerkraut I like: Wildbrine brand. I find them in a local healthfood store here, and I've found them at Central Market (this may be a TX only chain, I know they're based here, not sure where all they are now), and I think I saw them at Whole Foods. Do check labels, not all their varieties are compliant, but I love the Red Beet & Cabbage and the Garlic Dill varieties. Bubbies also makes sauerkraut, I haven't tried theirs, but I do like their pickles, which are also fermented. I'm currently trying to ferment some ginger carrots, theoretically it sounds easy enough, but I just started them today, so I won't really know if it worked for a week or so.

 

I don't really have answers for the other questions, although my guess with the fat thing is, if it's causing problems, cutting back for a bit is probably not a bad thing, it's certainly better than being miserable due to a reaction to it.