First Timer - First Week Log

[LTmommy]

Hi - I've just completed Day 4 of the Whole 30 and am still trying to get the hang of it.  I've listed below my meals for these first four days along with some questions if there are any moderators able to answer...thanks in advance for your help!!!

 

Day 1:

Breakfast: two sausage patties (I made them following the recipe in the Whole 30 book - loved these!), 2 eggs, 1 banana,  black coffee

Lunch: two chicken sausage links, 1 zucchini sautéed in ghee

Snack: pear, black coffee

Dinner: two more sausage patties (I didn't plan so well and didn't have other protein prepped), broccoli with some olive oil drizzled on top, grapes

Late snack: small handful mixed nuts

 

All I can say about day 1 was that I was really hungry from lunch time on...

 

Day 2: 

Early morning: 1 heaping tablespoon almond butter, black coffee

Breakfast:  3 eggs with a handful of spinach sautéed in ghee

Lunch: two sausage patties, roasted sweet potato

Dinner:  chicken chowder (loved this!)

 

Day 3 (today was my day to wake up with a headache):

Early morning: 1 heaping tablespoon almond butter, black coffee

Breakfast: two sausage patties, 3 eggs

Lunch: grilled salmon, grilled vegetables, and two small white potatoes (this was at a restaurant and pretty much the only thing on the menu that I could ensure was compliant)

Snack:  chia seeds in 1 cup almond milk (compliant) with cut up mango

Dinner:  2/3 cup chicken chowder, Large salad with artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, topped with a hamburger patty

 

Day 4:

Early morning:  1 heaping tablespoon almond butter, black coffee

Breakfast: two chicken sausage links, two sautéed zucchini

Lunch: chicken hash (loved this!)

Snack:  cherries

Dinner:  Beef chili, cherries

Snack: 1/2 c. chicken chowder

 

All in all, I've done OK.  But I have definitely been hungry, especially Day 1 and Day 3 (even with the in-between meal snacking).  My stomach has also not been so happy with me Day 3 and 4 (and according to the timeline, this would be expected later on).

 

Questions:

1. I know it is preferred to eat within one hour of waking up but this is a bit of a challenge for me and the best I've been able to do is grab a tablespoon of almond butter - is this OK?

2. I know 3 meals a day are preferred but I can't seem to get away from having a snack - I am still hungry in between meals, especially between lunch and dinner.  Today was the first day that my breakfast carried me through to lunch without being starving.  How can I manage this better?

 

[jmcbn]

Well done on completing four days & ​well done for navigating eating out within your first week!

In answer to your questions, eating breakfast within an hour of waking is vital to get your hormones back in check. Coffee is an appetite suppressant so should be taken with breakfast rather than before it. Is it your schedule that makes it a challenge ot eat? Or is it a lack of hunger? If it's your schedule try prepping something like a fritatta in advance (or just heat last night's leftovers!). If it's from lack of hunger then that's something you really need to work on. Make your template meal & eat as much of it as you can, then pack away the rest of it to eat later as a mini meal - eventually you'll find as your hormones balance out that your morning appetite will increase & you'll be able to finish it all.

Your need to snack is due to your meals not being big enough. Add more veggies for starters - meal one on day one & day three didn't have any - it's tough to get back from a poor breakfast and you'll find yourself hungry all day as you've already seen. If you find you really do need to snack then make it a 'mini-meal' of proteins & fats.

Take a look at the meal template & remember that these are the minimum recommendations - ensure you are getting protein, veggies & fat at every meal.
Do not let fruit push the veggies off your plate.
Fruit should be eaten with or as part of a main meal only - not on it's own as a snack.
The chia seeds in almond milk with mango is technically compliant, but a little 'desserty'

You may find that the daily heaping tablespoon of almond butter is contributing to your stomach not being happy as nuts & nut butters are notoriously hard on the digestive system, and as an aside can be a FWOB for some people...

Hope this helps.