Run down, could it be lack of red meat?

[jaqp]

Hi all, just looking for some feedback here. 

 

I am on day 20, and started whole30 for health purposes. I have had ongoing issues with a lot of things, but one of the big ones was constant exhaustion. And so far I'm not seeing any improvement on that front. I've started going to bed earlier and get a solid 8-9 hours of sleep every night, so I'm thinking it might be the food? 

 

 I don't eat red meat, and am starting to wonder if I need to find a way to add it into my diet (it's a taste issue, I need to figure out how to make it taste good for myself). I've been steadily increasing carb dense foods like potatoes, but don't see a difference. I've also eliminated coconut milk because I had an allergic reaction to it.

 

Here's a couple of days worth of menu for me:

1st meal- compliant sausage (2 hot dog size), potato (small), a whole avocado, and 1 cup of spinach

2nd meal- chicken, hard boiled egg, whole avocado, carrots, and half a pear

3rd meal- chicken in tomato sauce and spices, spinach, sweet potato, and watermelon slice. 

 

1st meal- 2 eggs (I'm working up to 3), spinach, potato, salsa

2nd meal- leftover chicken from dinner, carrots, and pear (I know there's no fat, just didn't plan ahead for this one)

3rd- chicken stir fry with peppers and onions, spinach, asparagus, sweet potato, banana. 

 

1st- 2 sausage, potato, avocado

2nd- leftover chicken stir fry, spinach, pear, hard boiled egg

3rd- fish, salsa, avocado, spinach, watermelon

 

I know that some of you will possibly point out that my meals seem small, but I honestly can't handle more food that this at once (they're actually bigger than when I began, if I tried the big meals, I threw up afterward). I also cook EVERYTHING in olive oil, more of it than I think I should but it's the one way I can think of to ensure I'm getting fats in my meals. 

 

Other than those, could the missing red meat be affecting my energy levels? Or is there some other tweak I need to make? 

[Tom Denham]

I do think you would benefit from eating some red meat, but I would be surprised if lack of red meat is responsible for the exhaustion you are reporting because you are eating animal protein at every meal. Beef and lamb have a superior nutritional profile compared to other proteins, but not so much better that you should suffer if you are not eating any. 

 

The composition of your meals looks pretty good. I like the variety and I trust you are eating as close to the meal planning template as you can. 

 

You might want to see your doctor and have some blood work done to see if a problem shows up. 

[jmcbn]

I second the blood work.  Had you spoken with your GP about your exhaustion/other health issues before you started your whole30?

What's your fluid intake like?

[Physibeth]

You also don't mention what your sleep, stress, and activity levels are like. I definitely second (third?) talking with a doctor though.

[MeadowLily]

A doctor visit is just what the doctor would order.

[jaqp]

Thanks for the feedback. We're checking my thyroid next, I've been doing all the typical blood tests in the past few months and everything keeps coming back 'normal'. 

 

I'm hoping that doing a sleep evaluation will help too. I feel like I'm getting a lot of good sleep, but maybe it's not as deep as I thought it was. I'm also going to try to change up my exercise to see if that helps as well. 

[MeadowLily]

Okay, didn't realize you've already had normal blood tests....your doctor will know best.

[jaqp]

Yeah, but I'm not sure what exactly they tested before, the only thing I really know for sure was fasting glucose and cholesterol. I requested the rest of the suggested ones along with a thyroid panel.

I'm kinda hoping it's 'just a phase' and my body will kick into gear in the next few days.