Day 29 - still having bathroom problems!

[Southern_Sayra]

I am on Day 29 of my first Whole30 and feeling extremely discouraged. I am nursing my 10 month old son almost exclusively, so I have found it very difficulty to eat enough and feel satisfied throughout the day. I'm not making excuses, I just really haven't had time to cook 4 meals a day plus snacks, so I have made 3 meals a day (which you would call a feat if you saw me chasing my little crawler around while doing it  ) and relied on "snacks" the rest of the time, including: Larabars (NEVER to satisfy a sweet tooth), banana, celery/other veggies with almond butter, cashews, guacamole and coconut ("shredded or milk). I don't eat more than one banana and one larabar a day, and I don't go crazy with the nuts, but they are a part of my diet. 

 

All that being said, I have been having loose stool that has now escalated into diarrhea almost the entire time I have been on the Whole30. Obviously, this is not a fun side-effect and is even more scary in my situation because I am closer to underweight (something I have struggled with my whole life and has been made worse by breastfeeding - NOT eating disorder related) I am going to finish out the 30 days, but am wondering about reintroduction. Am I still healing or is this not a good diet for me? I was so looking forward to the benefits of this eating plan and I am not feeling any of them. Any advice would be so great. 

 

Sorry for such a long post!! 

[GFChris]

First off, I would recommend altering your snacks to be mini-meals of protein, veg and fat.  Nuts are a fat source on a Whole30.

I'd suggest dropping the nuts and nut butters, as they can cause digestive distress for some.

 

If you don't want to lose weight on a Whole30, check out this article. 

 

I would advise making these changes and heal your diarrhea before moving onto reintroductions.  

You might also consider posting what a typical day of meals looks like for you, to see if we have any further suggested tweaks that can help to relieve you of your diarrhea.  In the meantime, be sure to stay well-hydrated.

[missmary]

Listen to Chris.

 

I know it feels overwhelming to cook four meals in a day, but can't you cook once with enough volume to feed yourself for several meals?

 

I don't have a toddler, and I'm not nursing, but I still don't care to cook from scratch different meals even three times per day every day. I make a big batch of things that can serve me several meals running. Throw some sweet potatoes in the oven. Roast some other veggies at the same time. And some chicken breast or thighs. Stick each of these in containers in the fridge. Hard boil a dozen eggs instead of one or two. Stick these in the fridge. Cut up some veggies you like to eat raw (I love red and yellow bell peppers), make a batch of mayo or guac., bake a bunch of meatballs, throw some short ribs in the crock pot, etc. etc. Next time you find yourself reaching for a lara bar, reach for this stuff instead. You can do this!