Am I eating enough? (ED history and out-of-whack hunger meter)

[wholeamanda]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm tackling my first week of my first Whole30 and am excited about the journey. That being said, I have a challenging history with food and come from the weigh-everything and count-everything school of coping. One thing that really drew me to Whole30 is that I would have to throw that out the window.

 

But, I'm not sure eating enough and that the symptoms (lightheadedness, fatigue, tunnel vision, lack of hunger) are starting to show. Or, I may be eating just enough, but my body is recalibrating. Here's 48-hours worth of eating, to give you an idea of quantity:

 

Breakfast 1 & 2: Fritatta with 3 eggs, 1 cup spinach, 1 turkey sausage, 1/2 avocado, coffee with coconut milk

 

Lunch 1 & 2: Big salad with seasoned chicken breast, HB egg, and compliant dressing with a small apple and 1 TB almond butter

 

Dinner 1: Turkey burger with mustard, sweet potato, 1 cup of diced mixed veggies, olive oil

Dinner 2: Grilled shrimp, fried egg, 2 cups broccoli roasted with olive oil

 

I've been making sure to season things, I keep in mind the need for extra salt, and have been taking it easy at the gym (mostly just 30 minute runs or 1 hour of yoga) while my body adjusts.

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! I'd love to stay motivated knowing I'm fueling myself correctly.

 

Amanda

[ladyshanny]

Hi Amanda!  Congrats on making such a big shift to beginning to trust your body over the macro and calorie counters that society insists we rely on!

 

Your meals look alright but if you are feeling weak or lightheaded you need to eat more.  Overall you could use more veggies, 1-3 cups per meal is the minimum and when it's leafy greens like a salad, you need a wheelbarrow full to be in the right range. Try adding cooked or chopped veggies to that salad.  I see a serving of sweet potato, make sure you have at least one fist sized serving per day and more if you feel yourself drooping or moody, tired, cranky or down/depressed.

 

It is entirely possible, having come from a background of restriction, that now your body is getting nutrients in whole-food form, that it needs more than you think.  Nutrient deprivation is hard on the body and when the nutrients start rolling in, sometimes the body goes a bit nuts and wants more, more, more. Honor that and keep eating!

 

What was your intake like prior to Whole30? Did you eat a lot of grains based foods, baked goods, legumes, rice, pasta etc? If so you probably need to up your starchy veggies to a couple servings a day at least as you transition away from these intense carb sources.  That could be part of the issue as well.

[wholeamanda]

LadyShanny,

 

Thank you so much for your reply! 

 

Pre-W30 I tried to keep my carbs between 40-45% of my total intake, much of which came from grain-based sources, so I'll try to fold in some more starchy veggies per your recommendation.

 

I've been getting full (and staying full, despite the snack cravings my brain is trying to trick me with!) pretty quickly, so adding more food sounds a little overwhelming. Is this something that will regulate itself as my hormones balance out?

 

Thanks again for your help,

 

Amanda

[ladyshanny]

LadyShanny,

 

Thank you so much for your reply! 

 

Pre-W30 I tried to keep my carbs between 40-45% of my total intake, much of which came from grain-based sources, so I'll try to fold in some more starchy veggies per your recommendation.

 

I've been getting full (and staying full, despite the snack cravings my brain is trying to trick me with!) pretty quickly, so adding more food sounds a little overwhelming. Is this something that will regulate itself as my hormones balance out?

 

Thanks again for your help,

 

Amanda

It may be slightly difficult to trust your body this soon into your Whole30.  It is possible that your cravings are actually hunger.  Ask yourself the question if you would eat something bland like steamed fish and brocoli or plain ground meat and asparagus.  If the answer is yes, then eat some protein, fat and veggies.  It can take some time to get to the point of being able to eat every 4-5 hours and not feel crappy in between.  Because you are light headed and not feeling well I still stand by the fact you probably aren't eating enough at your meals. Don't feel badly if you have to eat in between at this time, it is a process.