Andreabgm Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 HI. I am starting on Monday and am very much looking forward to it. Just returned from a 3-week vacation where we ate and drank anything and everything but in my defense there was lots of exercise involved! I seriously debated the thought that this 30-day period would include Thanksgiving, but then after that is Christmas, and then New Year's etc etc. From what I have read there are lots of Thanksgiving recipes here that look great. Anyway--I welcome being part of this group. I am a big question asker………... BTW, every other time I have done healthy plans like this, the stress has been on eating 6 times a day. I am used to snacks . I know Whole30 discourages them, but if within the guidelines, I would be interested to know other people's experience with eating more often. Weight loss is definitely a goal here as well as better health. Thanks! Andrea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GFChris Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Welcome! A bit of background: the reason why Whole30 recommends eating three meals a day is to encourage optimal hormonal balance. The idea is to have meals that fit the recommended meal template, that satiate you for 4-5 hours. As you work up to that structure, if you end up being genuinely hungry in between meals (litmus test: you could eat something bland like steamed fish and broccoli), then the recommendation is to have a mini-meal consisting of protein, vegetables and fat. The idea is avoid snacking out of habit, and to snack only when hungry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jent103 Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 I was also used to eating more than three times a day pre-Whole30 - at minimum, I'd have a substantial afternoon snack around 4pm in addition to my three meals. I was always hungry and had to think about food constantly (packing tons of food for work because I also ate breakfast there to "save time," having to figure out enough food for everything...). Now, I eat a substantial breakfast around 8:30 before I go to work, lunch around 1-2, and dinner around 7-8. Unless I have something going on after work, I only pack a lunch. I'm not hungry all the time and I'm not trying to figure out when I can have my snack/lunch around meetings and projects. It's so much easier. Make sure you have enough protein and fat in each meal, and eventually you'll get there. I'm not sure if you've read It Starts with Food, but the book goes into detail about the hunger hormones and why eating every 4-5 hours is better. It's certainly less stressful for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirkor Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Crazy ... or GENIUS?!!? Congratulations on making a tough call. As you said, there are other holidays coming down the pike, and most people would've fallen in to the "new year resolution" trap, and called these next couple months a wash. This will be a great opportunity to really dial in your choices and habits. It's going to be an awesome victory when you look back over the month and say, "Yea, I did that." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdraeger Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Last year, we made the majority of our Thanksgiving menu from Nom Nom Paleo's site (and we weren't doing a W30 and serving a bunch of "non-Paleo" people.) So, if you do decide to take this on, it's completely possible to do a super-awesome compliant Turkey Day feast. Good luck! M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NazzaB Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Part of the reason I chose to do W30 was because I was sick of snacking all the time. It is much easier to be able to eat 3 meals that really satisfy you and not be hungry again in a couple of hours and need to figure out what snack you can eat that's healthy. Especially when your job is busy or you're just running around all the time. It can be a real challenge changing your mindset in relation to this but I urge you to trust in it and soon you will feel free from the shackles of needing to snack constantly. Just make sure you're eating enough at meal times. It can seem like you're eating heaps at first but you're really not when you consider most of it is veggies and protein - no fillers like rice and bread. Make sure you're eating enough healthy fats with your meals like avocado or compliant mayonnaise or nuts. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstephane Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 I have struggled with snacking, but it seems I would need a half pound of protein not to get hungry between meals - is that normal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ShannonM816 Posted November 1, 2014 Moderators Share Posted November 1, 2014 I have struggled with snacking, but it seems I would need a half pound of protein not to get hungry between meals - is that normal? 8 oz of meat is still smaller than the steaks served in most restaurants, if that helps the perspective any . If that's what you need to eat to be full for 4-5 hours between meals, I think it's okay. Most of us, especially women, are used to being told to eat small portions, but one of the things I really like about W30 is that instead of focusing on restricting foods, it really focuses on eating the most healthy, nourishing foods, and eating as much of them as we need to to sustain our activity levels/energy. Be sure you're eating plenty of vegetables, and make sure you're having healthy fats with each meal, and eat as much as you need to eat to stay full between meals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andreabgm Posted November 1, 2014 Author Share Posted November 1, 2014 I was thrilled to check back today and see so many replies to my first question. It is really good to know there are friends out there willing to help. Printed out my shopping list--ready to go to Whole Foods tomorrow and dig in on Monday. Hey, maybe I will start tomorrow--let's see. Thanks everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirkor Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 I have struggled with snacking, but it seems I would need a half pound of protein not to get hungry between meals - is that normal? A half-pound of protein via what source? 8 oz of chicken breast is 70g protein ... 70g of protein via eggs would be 10 eggs. I could see 8oz of chicken lasting you 'til your next meal, but 10 eggs at once *might* be a lil' much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jent103 Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 I have struggled with snacking, but it seems I would need a half pound of protein not to get hungry between meals - is that normal? How much fat are you eating with that protein? If I don't have enough fat, no matter how much protein I have, I still get hungry sooner than if I eat plenty of fat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.