Need guidance about amounts in reintroduction

[CarmenF1]

The first day of reintroduction, I had less than half a cup of organic plain unsweetened yogurt at breakfast, 1 or 2 ounces of good cheese at lunch, and some half-and-half in my coffee at dinner and breakfast. I didn't notice any effects for the next two clean whole 30 days following that. Today I reintroduce legumes: about a tablespoon of peanut butter (just organic peanuts and salt) at breakfast, 1/4 to 1/2 cup hummus at lunch, and non-gluten organic tamari sauce on chicken at dinner. But I really didn't know how much of any of these new items to eat for a good test.

 

And also I would like to know if I should be cutting back on protein or fat when I add reintroduction items to a meal. Although I know that this is more about healthy eating, one of the main reasons I started this plan was to lose weight, and I lost about 15 pounds the first month and 6 pounds the second month. My exercise level stayed the same. I wonder if losing less the second month is typical, or it it's possible that I'm eating too much protein or fat. Estimating A thumb-sized amount of some fats is challenging, and I might be going over. I have read several places on the website about not being focused on the weight part, but easier said than done, Especially when I have been on and off diets since I was a little girl, and I'm 65 now.

 

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

[Caitie]

First of all: disclaimer: im super new to whole 30, but i have followed more or less the primal blueprint and Mark Sisson's website(marksdailyapple) for a couple years. I only clicked because  i wanted answers to your question too! Some one else please correct me if i'm wrong.

Ive seen several people on here say that its really difficult to overdo fat and i agree. Firstly, it wont cause the blood sugar spikes and insulin resistance leading to weight gain that overdoing carbs might, and also it fills you up so before you eat too much, you'll likely be full. The exception in my personal experience is dairy, its a food with no brakes for me and doesnt lead to me feeling full like nuts, olives, or fatty meat would. And if you have quality fat with your protein its also hard to overdo that.

 

When doing the reintros, I would just count the dairy as your fat and it would replace whatever you would normally include as the fat. Peanut butter and hummus would count as a fat, as well. Grains would displace starchy veggies and roots. Those quantities sound good for reintroduction purposes to me. It looks very similiar to the quantities in the sample reintro phase on this page:

http://whole30.com/step-two-finished/

I might add more legumes to dinner though, maybe some lentils or beans as a side? But only if you plan on eating more than those amounts in the future;i wouldnt test a giant bowl of red beans or something if thats not something youll ever eat.

 

Again please take this with several grains of salt, i answered because i noticed there werent any responses yet! Hopefully a more experienced, well read person will come along and affirm or correct this.

[Tom Denham]

You should consume portion sizes you would expect to eat if you keep eating these foods. That makes the reintroduction a real test because some people respond according to the dose... they can handle a little, but get symptoms if they eat a lot.

 

Maybe one out of 500 people whose food I review eat too much fat. Maybe one out of 750. You are probably not that one.

 

Losing less weight the second month is normal, especially when you lose a lot the first month. And you lost a lot. 

[CarmenF1]

Thanks for the suggestions and advice. One other question: I've been using coconut cream in my coffee (decaf), which I sometimes have socially at a coffee shop, which is not at meal time. I haven't seen any rules or postings about having coconut milk/cream away from mealtime; is that okay or not?

Thanks.

[ladyshanny]

Having a coffee w coconut cream or milk in the middle of the day is totally fine. Just watch that the coffee doesn't supress your appetite for your next meal. ")

[CarmenF1]

I have reintroduced dairy and legumes successfully– No negative consequences. I plan to reintroduce non-gluten grain tomorrow, But only gluten-free oatmeal for now. I don't care about Rice and some of those other grains, But might have rice if I eat out at a Thai place or something. My question is: if I have gluten-free oatmeal at breakfast what do I leave off so that I'm not just adding more calories and more food to the meal? I would probably have two eggs and vegetables, With ghee in the oatmeal and some coconut cream in my decaf.

 

I would also like to confirm what Caitie said above. "When doing the reintros, I would just count the dairy as your fat and it would replace whatever you would normally include as the fat. Peanut butter and hummus would count as a fat, as well. Grains would displace starchy veggies and roots." If I have peanut butter or hummus, I wouldn't have any other fats? And if I have oatmeal, I wouldn't have carrots or yams, Etc.? 

 

If my meals get later in the day, making dinner 8-10pm, should I just leave off dinner? I'm retired, and breakfast is usually around 9 or 10 AM. Depending on where I am and what I'm doing, A few days over the past couple of weeks my lunch has ended up being at 3-5pm. Then I'm not hungry for several hours. Right now it's 1030, And I forgot to have dinner. Tonight I'll have a little bit based on the template, or what is the Whole 30 advice about this kind of situation?

Thanks.

[GFChris]

 

I would also like to confirm what Caitie said above. "When doing the reintros, I would just count the dairy as your fat and it would replace whatever you would normally include as the fat. Peanut butter and hummus would count as a fat, as well. Grains would displace starchy veggies and roots." If I have peanut butter or hummus, I wouldn't have any other fats? And if I have oatmeal, I wouldn't have carrots or yams, Etc.? 

 

If my meals get later in the day, making dinner 8-10pm, should I just leave off dinner? I'm retired, and breakfast is usually around 9 or 10 AM. Depending on where I am and what I'm doing, A few days over the past couple of weeks my lunch has ended up being at 3-5pm. Then I'm not hungry for several hours. Right now it's 1030, And I forgot to have dinner. Tonight I'll have a little bit based on the template, or what is the Whole 30 advice about this kind of situation?

Thanks.

On a Whole30, dairy and legumes (hummus and peanut butter) are all protein.  During reintroductions, don't worry about displacing anything.  Just include a normal serving size of the reintro food in question at each meal. 

Regarding your second question (I assume you're not talking during reintro), the idea with a Whole30 is to have three meals daily, where your meals are 4-5 hours apart, and the first meal is within 1 hour of waking.  We recommend this approach for optimal hormonal balance.  The fact that you had a mini-meal of sorts at the end of the day, based on the template, was the way to go.

[CarmenF1]

Thank you for the clarification about legumes and dairy. I have now completed as much reintroduction as I plan to do for now. I'm not adding back gluten grains or sugar (have been major "no brakes" foods in the past) , and I don't drink alcohol anymore anyway. So my present understanding is that it's compliant to have a serving of dairy or legumes in the place of meat, fish, or eggs. Is that correct? And I would still have the ghee, coconut milk, avocado, or olives as I have for the flat portion of the meal.

 

What about non-gluten grains like gluten-free crackers with the hummus? I can use sliced zucchini or carrots for dipping when I'm home, but I was at a picnic yesterday, And they had some gluten-free crackers. I had a few and have not had any negative effects. At a restaurant for a birthday party A few days ago, they had calamari with a gluten-free coating. Again, no after-effects. This would be something I have only very occasionally.

 

I also wanted to check on one last thing (well, maybe not the very last). I enjoy yams and frequently have one half of a yam as part of my vegetables for one or two meals per day. I always add other vegetables, especially green vegetables, when I have yams. Is it okay to have that many servings of yams?

 

Thanks to all who respond to these questions. I really appreciate it.

Carmen

[GFChris]

Thank you for the clarification about legumes and dairy. I have now completed as much reintroduction as I plan to do for now. I'm not adding back gluten grains or sugar (have been major "no brakes" foods in the past) , and I don't drink alcohol anymore anyway. So my present understanding is that it's compliant to have a serving of dairy or legumes in the place of meat, fish, or eggs. Is that correct? And I would still have the ghee, coconut milk, avocado, or olives as I have for the flat portion of the meal.

 

What about non-gluten grains like gluten-free crackers with the hummus? I can use sliced zucchini or carrots for dipping when I'm home, but I was at a picnic yesterday, And they had some gluten-free crackers. I had a few and have not had any negative effects. At a restaurant for a birthday party A few days ago, they had calamari with a gluten-free coating. Again, no after-effects. This would be something I have only very occasionally.

 

I also wanted to check on one last thing (well, maybe not the very last). I enjoy yams and frequently have one half of a yam as part of my vegetables for one or two meals per day. I always add other vegetables, especially green vegetables, when I have yams. Is it okay to have that many servings of yams?

 

Thanks to all who respond to these questions. I really appreciate it.

Carmen

Once you're done with your Whole30 and reintros, you decide how you want to eat going forward. You get to make your own rules. If you choose to have dairy or legumes with meat, fish or eggs, go for it. Gluten-free crackers? Your call. Yam servings? You choose.

[CarmenF1]

Besides good health, weight loss has been my priority. So the questions about quantities of  foods other than the basic whole 30 template relate to that.

Thanks.

carmen

[MeadowLily]

Carmen - all other food quantities outside of the template are your call.     If weight loss has been/is your priority, you don't have to add any other foods back that you don't want to.   If you want continued benefits/maintenance and/or additional weight loss, you can choose to stick with the template as long as you want.  That's your call, too.    All of it is left up to you.  

[CarmenF1]

I have added back small amounts of a few things such as hummus, peanut butter, cheese, and yogurt. I've been told that dairy and legumes count as protein. What I would like some clarity on is how much of each to substitute for what amount of the proteins that I have been eating: eggs, fish, and lamb. I want to avoid overeating any food group in order to continue losing weight, and still stay healthy. I wonder also if I should cut back on some of the fat, as I have been having the full Whole 30 portion at each meal, and sometimes a little more. Is there guidance anywhere on these questions?

Thank you.

Carmen

[AmyS]

I have added back small amounts of a few things such as hummus, peanut butter, cheese, and yogurt. I've been told that dairy and legumes count as protein. What I would like some clarity on is how much of each to substitute for what amount of the proteins that I have been eating: eggs, fish, and lamb. I want to avoid overeating any food group in order to continue losing weight, and still stay healthy. I wonder also if I should cut back on some of the fat, as I have been having the full Whole 30 portion at each meal, and sometimes a little more. Is there guidance anywhere on these questions?

Thank you.

Carmen

This might seem like a frustrating answer, but I'm going to say that this is a very individual thing. Part of the goal of Whole30 and the reintroduction period is to help you determine your personal answers to these questions. If you look at the Post-Whole30 section of the forums and browse some of the logs that folks have been keeping for a while, you'll see that people come up with many different answers based on their personal context and their needs. Additionally, you may or may not be able to come up with a one-to-one substitution of, say, dairy for beef, just because their nutrient profiles and how they affect your body may be very different.

 

So - the experiment continues. If you find logging your food helpful, you might consider starting a log in the Post-Whole30 section here and then you can talk it all over with supportive folks as you continue your journey.

[CarmenF1]

OK - I'll try that. I'm still losing and weighing only once per month. I don't want to find out after four weeks that I'm unintentionally doing something counter-productive.

 

Thanks for your suggestion.

carmen