Am I On Track?

[oldhousejunkie]

Hi folks!

 

I'm on Day 5 of my first ever Whole30. I'm not into killing things right now, but I'm bloated and feeling sluggish. Of course the feeling sluggish is the reason that I'm trying Whole30. I'm tired all the time. It doesn't matter if I get 7 hours of sleep or 10 hours of sleep, I'm tired. So tired that usually take a nap during my lunch break and/or when I get home at night. So I'm hoping that Whole30 will pull me out of that because I want more energy. I'm 32 and have no kids, so why am I tired all the time? I've been to a host of doctors: my thyroid is on the low side of normal, so they won't treat it. I have hypoglycemia which I hope Whole30 will help get under control in terms of the insulin roller coaster that I'm usually on. I have anemia but I take iron and it seems to be controlled for the moment. I was so tired of being tired and not getting any kind of feedback from my doctors that I figured a food makeover was the only way. I have been playing around with Paleo since the beginning of the year, and initially I felt amazing! I''m a runner and found that I had more energy and was running better. But I had gradually gotten back into eating sweets and grains. I tried to refocus but I just couldn't so I'm hoping that Whole30 will get me back on track.

 

With all that being said, I'm a bit worried after reading other people's posts on here. I really hate vegetables or rather there are very few that I eat. Basically spinach (baby spinach in a salad), cucumbers, green beans, and snap peas. But I love fruit and so I've been shooting for two veggies a day and I've been supplementing with fruit for snacks. But I'm worried that I may be eating too much fruit and eating too much in general. I woke up bloated today which seems to be a couple of days before that phase kicks in. I should note that I am eating small amounts of cheese (but not other dairy). Cheese has been a way for me to stabilize my sugar levels in the past; plus I love it and it's never caused me stomach issues. And Mark Sisson says that it's OK for Paleo/Primal if it doesn't cause you gastro distress. I know Whole30 and Paleo are not the same thing, but they seem to intersect in my brain for some reason. I know there's a psychological element to Whole30 too, and while beneficial, I kind of don't need it since I've been toying around with this way of eating for awhile. I know what's bad for me and what's not. Here's a sample of what I'm eating:

 

Breakfast:

Turkey bacon, egg, and cheese "muffins" (this is a recipe that uses coconut flour. I know baking projects are supposed to be off limits, but given my tiredness issues, getting up early to cook eggs and turkey bacon is just not in the cards for me)

Small glass of OJ (no sugars or sweeteners added)

A big glass of regular unsweetened tea (a must to keep my from headaches since I don't drink coffee. I actually drank hot tea with milk and lots of sugar before starting Whole30)

 

Morning Snack:

Small apple with TBSP of almond butter

 

Lunch:

Roasted Chicken 

Baked potato with salt

Cucumber

cherries

 

Afternoon Snack:

Larabar (I try to reserve this for days that I run)

 

Afternoon Snack II (usually when I get home from work at 6pm):

A handful of cranberries, almonds, and cashews

Banana

 

Dinner:

Pot Roast with red potatoes and carrots

 

Evening Snack:

Cottage Cheese and no sugar added strawberry jam

 

So I'm relying too much on fruit? That was yesterday's meal plan. Over the weekend, I felt like I was constantly grazing instead of eating full meals (with the exception of breakfast--I do make eggs, turkey bacon, and OJ on the weekends). I know everyone is different but I terrified of gaining weight. I'm 5'7 and 175 lbs. I carry it well (most people are shocked that I weight that much) but I've been way lighter too. Like in college I only weighed 132 lbs though I got up to around 160 by the time I graduated. I'd like to see 160 again though my absolute goal weight is 150. When I went on Paleo, I dropped down to 170 but also counted calories (and have been using a phone app). Of course I stopped when I started Whole30. So I could be psyching myself out. I'm not particularly sedentary--I run a lot of but because it's summer in the south, I'm only logging 10 to 12 miles a week right now, so my cardio is down a bit. I hit the gym 2x a week for weight training and I'm trying to fit in either pilates or yoga as well. So I'm not sedentary. I sometimes I wonder if I need to be on a low glycemic diet more than Paleo or Whole30. I'm not even looking to reintroduce foods after the 30 days are up (except limited amounts of dairy...and the occasional hard cider or cocktail).

 

Any thoughts or guidance would be appreciated. 

[LauraLish]

Have a look at the meal template, and reread the rules and the "Can I have..?" page. Cottage cheese is dairy and warrants a restart. And yes, too much fruit and very light on veggies. Drinking juice is not allowed, only use it to cook with.

[oldhousejunkie]

Maybe this isn't for me. It was a major sacrifice to give up milk, but I understood the principle (that it's a major insulin bomb). I could give up juice (I'm almost out of it anyway). But in general, I'd starve to death if I followed the rules to the letter. Maybe I should just focus on keeping sugar out of my diet and staying away from grains since veggies are a non-start with me.

[debgm123]

I would give it some more time but also try to follow the rules. I have been stuffed throughout the last 9 days I have been on it to the point I keep feeling I am doing something wrong but am following the rules and not having any forbidden items. Maybe you aren't getting enough fat??? I don't see where you are adding the fat portion of the meal template to your meals. There are also tons of breakfast options that you can prepare on a Sunday and eat throughout the week that are compliant. I fixed a frittata the first week and a sweet potato, sausage casserole this past Sunday. It may not be right for you but you also may find you have an issue with dairy and the only way you will ever find out is to give dairy up. There is a reason why the meal template is there and it will help you if you follow it. Hang in there. You can do this.

[Carlaccini]

Please don't be discouraged.  I know it is hard to make a change - but I tell you it is so worth it.

 

You aren't getting enough fat and you're not eating enough in general.  This is one of the reason why you are so snacky.  And you are relying heavily on fruit.  Trust me if a whole 30 is done properly - you should never be hungry.  Except maybe 20 - 30 minutes before you eat your next meal.

 

Eggs should be the amount of eggs that you can hold in 1 hand. Eating too much fruit will cause you to be hungry later - seriously. 

 

During my first whole 30 I would include a small bowl of fruit as part of my breakfast.  I needed to have a sweet finish in my mouth. I found out dropping the fruit and adding more veg helped me stay fuller longer.

 

After my first whole 30 I decided I would try venture out and try a banana, blueberry 2 egg "pancake"  as my breakfast - (my breakfasts previously were 2 - 3 eggs, some sweet potato, and some sort of cooked green veg) after the pancake - I was hungry by 10:30.  I was eating the same amoun of protein, but the sugar in the fruit caused my sugars to spike and which caused me to feel hungrier early.

 

Yes cheese is considered part of some primal diets - but this is a whole 30.  You either follow the rules or you don't.  So venture out and try out the whole 30 as it is written - add dollops of homemade mayo, cook up some proscuito and sprinkle it over your salad, add a handful of olives, or half a avocado to you next meal.  It is the fats that keep you full.  Don't skimp on them.

[Tina R]

oldhousejunkie, You might want to check out a Paleo diet which is similar to the whole30 but it isn't a challenge for 30 day. The whole30 is a challenge for 30 days to give up all these inflammatory foods. You don't have to do a whole30 to eat healther. Some pleople who eat paelo eat dairy, grains and legumes. Also once you change the foods that you eat and cut out the sugar your taste buds will change as well and you might find that you like to eat veggies. Keep trying different veggies prepared different ways and you might find some favorites. Good Luck. Here is a recipe from Mark's Daily Apple that uses dairy. http://www.marksdailyapple.com/beef-stroganoff/#axzz39XAwdObb.

[Physibeth]

Warning - This Post Has Lots of Tough Love - If You Can't Take It Don't Read It

 

*** Tough Love Starts Now ***

 

This program IS for you! You CAN do this. But it is going to take being a grown up and having some self discipline! 

 

First your weight. You are at an absolutely healthy weight for your height. Your body composition may not be what you like but your weight is just fine. For context I am 5'4" and weigh more than you do and have gotten much leaner in the past year while losing very little additional weight. In order to make those body composition changes you need to deal with your energy issues and lower your sugar intake and lift heavy things.

 

Energy issues - all of the fruit is counter productive to this goal. If you want your body to use your fat stores for energy you need to stop giving it so much sugar. Vegetables are much more nutrient dense than fruit and come with less of a sugar hit. Even if you only eat your limited vegetables you must increase the volume and limit your fruit. Fruit juice on a Whole30 is only ok if you use it as a sweetener in a recipe. You are killing those hormones that you so want to heal but giving them such a big sugar spike drinking juice. As a reforming vegetable hater my advice would be to make yourself try one new thing a week. If you don't like it try it prepared a different way. Keep trying it.

 

You certainly can survive without dairy for 30 days and after the fact you will know if it is causing problems for you or not. Personally I can handle it so I eat it occasionally post whole 30 but I couldn't have discovered that without the experiment and when I do a Whole30 I do give it up for 30 days. Just a drop in the bucket of your entire life. Think of it as a discipline thing.

 

I agree that upping your fat at meals will help you not need the snacks. So will reducing your fruit and increasing your vegetables.

 

Make this your meal planning bible for 30 days: http://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-meal-planning.pdf

 

Memorize these: http://whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/

 

Study this: http://whole30.com/2013/06/the-official-can-i-have-guide-to-the-whole30/

 

You will never know if this will help until you do it full tilt. Just 30 days. 

[annabel]

My husband was tired all the time as well before he started a Whole 30.  As in, asleep in bed by 8:30 most nights, after a nap on the couch after work.  Following the Whole 30 did sort out his sleep and tiredness after about 2 weeks.