No energy, HA, hungry

[chaslynn.garrett]

SO, I made a last minute decision to jump on this Whole30 madness train. I'm only on Day 2, and I feel like I'm going to fall over. Previously, I have been eating VERY healthy, about 85% Paleo, 90% organic, nothing artificial or processed. I would eat a sandwich on whole grain, organic bread every other day or so when I was in a hurry, add about a tablespoon of low-fat cheese to something every other day, and would eat 1 glass of organic, low-fat milk per day. I would eat at least 1 raw meal a day as well and had a well-balanced diet along with daily exercise (CrossFit type workouts with some weight training and running) and plenty of water and sleep at night. I am 5'4" and weight 120 lbs. I have never had any sort of digestive issues or felt like gluten or dairy has impaired me. I have also done other vegetarian/vegan diets and cut out the things like Whole30 suggests, minus meat, and I never felt any difference.

 

In the last two days, I have not felt full. I feel like I cannot eat enough, but nothing sounds appealing. I have a massive headache and no energy. My workout yesterday was terrible. I knew everyone in there thought it was my first time in a gym due to my huffing/puffing/pacing/etc. I just couldn't muster up the energy. I know I need to eat more calories, but I just can't seem to cook enough food at this point. My husband is trying to GAIN weight, so I'm stuffing him full of food right now. Our grocery budget cannot handle his food intake plus mine, especially needing to almost double it at this point between the both of us. 

 

Here has been my food intake so far:

 

January 1, 2015

B: 1 egg, 3 tbs egg whites, 1 c. spinach, dash of salt & pepper, 1/2 large orange

L: 3 c. spinach, 1/3 red bell pepper, 1 medium carrot, 1 medium celery stalk, 1 1/4 tbs olive oil, 1 1/4 tbs. balsamic vinegar

Snack: 1 banana

D: 1/2 lb cajun burger, 2 tomato slices, 1 tbs garlic aoli, 1 c. cauliflower "mashed potatoes"

 

January 2, 2015

B: 2 eggs, 1 c. spinach, dash of hot sauce, 1/2 banana

Snack: Banana

L: 3 c. spinach, 1/3 red bell pepper, 1 medium carrot, 1 medium celery stalk, 1/2 lb chicken, 1/3 cup homemade raspberry vinaigrette, 1 large sweet potato

 

What can I eat that is cost effective and will bump up my calories? I'm just wondering if this is right for me since I've never noticed any other issues in the past after cutting these things out (minus the meat factor - I didn't eat meat for a while, but I do now). Thanks.

[GFChris]

Here are the tweaks I would make. In general, I would suggest eating more:

Jan 1:

- Meal 1: have 3 whole eggs
- Meal 2: add 1-2 palms of protein
- change the snack to a mini-meal of protein, veg and fat
 

Jan 2: 
- Meal 1: have the number of whole eggs you can hold in 1 hand as your protein serving. 
- change the snack to a mini-meal of protein, veg and fat

In general, you may want to increase your veggie portions to 2-3 cups per meal.

Your workouts will likely drag for a bit until you become fat-adapted.  Hang in there.

[Tom Denham]

You need to eat more. Also, if you are doing intense exercise, you need to be eating starchy veggies every day. The classic choice is a baked sweet potato, but other starchy veggies are good. And you need to add a post-workout meal after a workout... a meal that includes lean protein and maybe a starchy veggie. Review the meal template to see what we recommend:

 

http://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-meal-planning.pdf

 

You are trying to convince us that doing a Whole30 is a waste of your time because you have no food sensitivities and are already a fire-breathing dragon on your ordinary diet. You may be great as you are, but you cannot make a judgement about the potential of the Whole30 for you until you actually complete 30 days of a strict, by the book Whole30. Lots of people start thinking they are already good and then they find they have another gear and can actually fly. If now is not a good time for you to figure out if you can fly, okay, but don't tell yourself you know something you absolutely can't know without trying it. 

[sbguitar2]

I definitely agree with the others that you're really not eating enough food.  Tuna packets, sardines, etc are relatively cheap and easy protein options, especially post-workout.  You should pair them with a sweet potato or other vegetable.  If I'm really in a rut and don't have a veggie on hand, I've tried baby food in a squeezy pouch.  It's not very attractive, but it gets the job done when I'm ready to eat my arm after CF!

The more protein I eat, esp after crossfit, the more full I feel.  Also, don't forget to eat fats.  I'm about to being my 2nd Whole 30.  During my first one, I ate a lot of avocado and coconut everything.  This helped keep me full also.  One of my big go-to meals was a huge salad with all kinds of veggies, a packet of tuna or chicken breast on top, avocado, and a Whole 30 approved dressing. 

 

You can do this!  Best of luck!

[A_Whole_New_Me]

Day 2 is looking better!

 

I'd add another egg to your breakfast, if your stomach can handle it.  Eggs are one of the cheapest proteins.  I can usually find screaming deals on chicken... unfortunately I rarely like eating chicken, but it's definitely inexpensive if you shop carefully.  What about buying a whole chicken to roast at the beginning of the week & cutting it up to throw over your salads for the week?  Your salads should be loaded with nutrient-rich goodies, so adding some chicken can improve your protein & fat profiles.

[Fiona2015]

Hi all,

 

I am also feeling exhausted and have no energy for working out. So far today, for example, I ate:

Meal 1: 3 eggs, lettuce and cashew butter

Meal 2: 1.5 palms of ham, lettuce, handful of cashews, some beetroot, a quarter of a sweet potato

 

Am I just not eating enough? Should I eat a full sweet potato for lunch? I do crossfit and I feel so slow and weak at it this past week. However, on the positive I have noticed a huge improvement in my acne! So I'm delighted with that and it has only been one week!

 

Thank you

 

[ultrarunnergirl]

If you are cross-fitting I'd do a full sweet potato at lunch for sure.

 

Nothing wrong with lettuce but it's really not going to give you any energy or satiety. I'd vote for some more carb dense veggies. Beets, rutabaga, carrots, winter squash - lots of options.

[Physibeth]

Hi all,

 

I am also feeling exhausted and have no energy for working out. So far today, for example, I ate:

Meal 1: 3 eggs, lettuce and cashew butter

Meal 2: 1.5 palms of ham, lettuce, handful of cashews, some beetroot, a quarter of a sweet potato

 

Am I just not eating enough? Should I eat a full sweet potato for lunch? I do crossfit and I feel so slow and weak at it this past week. However, on the positive I have noticed a huge improvement in my acne! So I'm delighted with that and it has only been one week!

 

Thank you

 

In addition to the great advice ultrarunnergirl gave, how you are feeling is quite normal for the first week. Almost everyone experiences a decrease in athletic performance the first 1-2 weeks. Hang in there.

[ladyn81]

I seem to be having the same problem with staying full....Today is day 4 for me

 

Pre WOD

 

1 baked egg in an avocado half

 

Post WOD

 

! Meatloaf muffin and sweet potato, apple, mango baby food packet

 

Breakfast

 

3 Eggs with Spinach

Sweet potato hashbrowns

1/4 of Avocado

 

I ate most of my breakfast before I became satiated but 3 hours later I was hungry again....

 

Lunch:

 

5 oz salmon cakes

1 handful of olives

1/2 bunch of assparagus

3/4 of an apple

 

I was somewhat full after lunch but an hour or hour and a half later I was munchie....I have another workout tonight.....I fell quite lost with what I am eating. I just want to stay full for at least 4 hours...Please help.

[ladyshanny]

I seem to be having the same problem with staying full....Today is day 4 for me

 

Pre WOD

 

1 baked egg in an avocado half

 

Post WOD

 

! Meatloaf muffin and sweet potato, apple, mango baby food packet

 

Breakfast

 

3 Eggs with Spinach

Sweet potato hashbrowns

1/4 of Avocado

 

I ate most of my breakfast before I became satiated but 3 hours later I was hungry again....

 

Lunch:

 

5 oz salmon cakes

1 handful of olives

1/2 bunch of assparagus

3/4 of an apple

 

I was somewhat full after lunch but an hour or hour and a half later I was munchie....I have another workout tonight.....I fell quite lost with what I am eating. I just want to stay full for at least 4 hours...Please help.

Sorry to tell you but you are not eating enough for someone who does not workout, let alone someone who does!  One excellent indicator that this is true is your hunger between meals or shortly after meals.  

 

Try for 1-3 cups of veggies per meal, 1-2 palms of protein and at least 1-2 thumbs of fat.  If your fat is avocado, the serving is half to whole.  

 

You're an active woman, nourish yourself that way!  

[TheRuralJuror]

SO, I made a last minute decision to jump on this Whole30 madness train. I'm only on Day 2, and I feel like I'm going to fall over. Previously, I have been eating VERY healthy, about 85% Paleo, 90% organic, nothing artificial or processed. I would eat a sandwich on whole grain, organic bread every other day or so when I was in a hurry, add about a tablespoon of low-fat cheese to something every other day, and would eat 1 glass of organic, low-fat milk per day. I would eat at least 1 raw meal a day as well and had a well-balanced diet along with daily exercise (CrossFit type workouts with some weight training and running) and plenty of water and sleep at night. I am 5'4" and weight 120 lbs. I have never had any sort of digestive issues or felt like gluten or dairy has impaired me. I have also done other vegetarian/vegan diets and cut out the things like Whole30 suggests, minus meat, and I never felt any difference.

 

In the last two days, I have not felt full. I feel like I cannot eat enough, but nothing sounds appealing. I have a massive headache and no energy. My workout yesterday was terrible. I knew everyone in there thought it was my first time in a gym due to my huffing/puffing/pacing/etc. I just couldn't muster up the energy. I know I need to eat more calories, but I just can't seem to cook enough food at this point. My husband is trying to GAIN weight, so I'm stuffing him full of food right now. Our grocery budget cannot handle his food intake plus mine, especially needing to almost double it at this point between the both of us. 

 

Here has been my food intake so far:

 

January 1, 2015

B: 1 egg, 3 tbs egg whites, 1 c. spinach, dash of salt & pepper, 1/2 large orange

L: 3 c. spinach, 1/3 red bell pepper, 1 medium carrot, 1 medium celery stalk, 1 1/4 tbs olive oil, 1 1/4 tbs. balsamic vinegar

Snack: 1 banana

D: 1/2 lb cajun burger, 2 tomato slices, 1 tbs garlic aoli, 1 c. cauliflower "mashed potatoes"

 

January 2, 2015

B: 2 eggs, 1 c. spinach, dash of hot sauce, 1/2 banana

Snack: Banana

L: 3 c. spinach, 1/3 red bell pepper, 1 medium carrot, 1 medium celery stalk, 1/2 lb chicken, 1/3 cup homemade raspberry vinaigrette, 1 large sweet potato

 

What can I eat that is cost effective and will bump up my calories? I'm just wondering if this is right for me since I've never noticed any other issues in the past after cutting these things out (minus the meat factor - I didn't eat meat for a while, but I do now). Thanks.

 

As others have pointed out, you aren't eating nearly enough!  Not only to fuel your body to be alive, but especially not to fuel your workouts.  I went and plugged your 1st day into my online calculator, and I came up with the following

 

Calories: 1,005

P: 73g

F: 55g

C: 61g

 

I had to make a few assumptions (whether your cup of spinach was cooked or not, and especially about your burger, which took up 40% of your daily calories), but what I have is very likely close and definitely should key you in to realizing you just aren't eating enough food.  In the third post Tom Denham linked a pdf version of the Whole30 meal planning guide, and I also encourage you to use it.

 

Don't be afraid of adding fat to your meals (breakfast and lunch had relatively low amounts, and calories can easily be made up with dietary fat), and I also suggest backing off or even giving your body a break from really intense workouts for a week or two.  Let it adjust and give it a chance to rest up if you haven't afforded it the opportunity sometime in the last couple of months.  The body can do some crazy things to compensate for being overworked and underfed for an extended period of time.

 

-TRJ

[Regina Runs Far]

Hi everyone!  I am on Day #5, and I am a dedicated distance runner, who also dabbles in crossfit...........often I work out twice per day.  I feel so much better reading your posts, as I was feeling the same thing, and that I might have to slip up and eat something off plan.  I guess we are all going through the same thing.  I also thought I was eating a lot already, but everyone just tells me to eat more fat and more protein and just more of everything.  Every day I have been gradually adding more food, and finally today I don't feel famished.  My runs and workouts have not been great...........been finishing them, but not as fast or as heavy.  I am going to stick with the plan, keep trying new foods and combinations of foods.  I am hoping that my body will adjust, and my workouts will get back to normal soon. Let's all stay the course and see what happens. I look forward to hearing more from everyone as we go through this journey. I have some big races coming up and I hope whole 30 takes me to new levels. 

[Physibeth]

Hi everyone!  I am on Day #5, and I am a dedicated distance runner, who also dabbles in crossfit...........often I work out twice per day.  I feel so much better reading your posts, as I was feeling the same thing, and that I might have to slip up and eat something off plan.  I guess we are all going through the same thing.  I also thought I was eating a lot already, but everyone just tells me to eat more fat and more protein and just more of everything.  Every day I have been gradually adding more food, and finally today I don't feel famished.  My runs and workouts have not been great...........been finishing them, but not as fast or as heavy.  I am going to stick with the plan, keep trying new foods and combinations of foods.  I am hoping that my body will adjust, and my workouts will get back to normal soon. Let's all stay the course and see what happens. I look forward to hearing more from everyone as we go through this journey. I have some big races coming up and I hope whole 30 takes me to new levels. 

 

Keep eating when you are hungry...you will find a good place soon. The workout thing is quite normal so just hang in there. Took me 2 weeks before my running felt normal again and then it got much better.