Eating in Excess - Is it possible to over eat some items?

[ashmcnairy]

Is it possible on the Whole30 to eat too much of a good thing? I know moderation is key, but I am uncertain on some guidelines. I eat probably an avocado a day (sometimes up to two a day) and I'm not sure if that is too much fat in my daily eating? I also wonder about nuts. I recently made my own trail mix (cashews, pecans, walnuts, almonds, dried blueberries and raisins) and have added a couple handfuls to my meals. Is that too much?

 

I'm reading about other's troubles with hunger, which I get as well (usually 3 hours after eating), but i don't want to over eat on the items i shouldn't over eat. 

[ladyshanny]

Avocados are fine, what you've been eating is just fine.  The nut/dried fruit mix is less so. Nuts are not an ideal fat source and mixed with dried fruits they can keep the idea and desire to "snack" alive as well as keeping your sugar dragon (if you have one) happy and healthy.  If you are eating enough at meals you shouldn't need the nut mix.

 

Have you seen the template (linked below).  You are free to eat anywhere along this range and remember that the template is the minimum you should be eating.  If you are a heavy exerciser or have a super fast metabolism or are pregnant or nursing, you need more food.

 

If you want, feel free to post a run down of what you've been eating (include portion sizes as they relate to the template), fluids, exercise, stress and sleep and we can take a look and see if it all looks alright!

[Carlaccini]

Avocados - I wouldn't worry about too much.

 

Trail mix - First of all Trail mix is a SWYPO concoction of sorts.  Nuts are not an ideal fat source because of the omega 3 to Omega 6 fat ratios.  And they are common for causing bloating and gut disruption.

 

I would definitely say a couple of handfuls would be too much in the nut department.  Try other fats - olives, ghee, homemade mayo, coconut butter.  Generally what is recommended for a nut serving is one closed handful

[ashmcnairy]

I have seen that template before (it is actually on my fridge) which is why I thought having the amount of avocado I do every day ok, but wasn't 100% sure, so thanks for that. When I read other posts, I'm starting to think I just need to add more to my meals. I'm used to having smaller portions and snacking throughout the day so that has been a challenge for me. I'm on day 15 so hopefully I haven't messed this whole thing up 

 

When you say to try other fats, would that be by them self or in/on things? I have ghee at home, but I assume I would need to cook something in it. I'm not really an olive fan. I'll definitely look at cutting down on my nuts though. 

 

An example day would be this for me:

Breakfast - usually 2 eggs. Lately I've been having egg bake with spinach, mushrooms, red pepper, onion, pork sausage. Today I did add fruit salad made with grapes, strawberries, blueberries and pineapple, but I know you all warn against too much fruit. So what else should I add to make sure I'm full? 

Lunch - usually left over dinner from the night before, so protein and veggies. Today was chicken and zucchini meatballs (2 of them) with a avocado and tomato salad (about a cup). I did also have the nuts and about a dozen baby carrots

Dinner - I try to do protein and veggies as much as possible. Friday I had a chicken and avocado salad with tomato and peppers added. I probably had about a cup of shredded chicken and 2 avocados. Tonight I'm trying something new - a paleo chicken alfredo using spaghetti squash as noodles and cashew/coconut milk as the sauce. I plan to add broccoli, red pepper, zucchini and garlic to the mix.

Pre-workout (I workout at the gym 3 days a week, I play ultimate frisbee 2 times a week and do a lunch walk for about 20 min almost every day) - I struggle here but last week I did have a half chicken breast and some nuts which helped as pre-wo then had a tuna sweet potato burger after workout. Today I didn't plan well so I might have another slice of egg bake as pre-wo since I read eggs were a good option as the pre-wo meal. 

Fluids - I drink water all day, sometimes sparkling if its around. No coffee only tea

 

I know I'm eating the right foods (in regard to what I can have vs what I can't), but I do struggle on the portion part of this. If I follow the template, should I be adding all those sources of fat per meal?

[jmcbn]

I think you're light on protein at each meal, unless those meatballs are huge! Increasing the amount of protein should help keep you fuller for longer, especially at breakfast as it's hard to pull back from a poor start to the day.

When Carlaccini is saying to try other fats she means with your meals in place of the nuts - maybe try home-made mayo if you're not an olive fan, guacamole, or bacon. 

As for what to add to breakfast instead of fruit I'd say (again) more protein & more veggies. As an example when I have a frittata it will have at least three eggs per serving, and I'll always add another source of protein (usually mackerel), a side serving of veg and a half an avocado.


 

[MrsMcG]

I struggled a ton with getting enough healthy fats at the beginning. Adding more fat will help you feel full after each meal without having to rely on fruit and nuts.

 

I'm on day 13 now, and these are four things that I have discovered that work well for me:

 

1. Unsweetened coconut flakes (yum!!)

2. Olives (I like black but green are fine too I think)

3. Ghee and coconut oil in my morning coffee. 1 tbsp ghee, 1 tbsp coconut oil, 1 cup coffee. Dump it all in the blender and whip it up. I know it sounds bizarre but it is GOOD! And it helps keep me full all morning. When I first read about it I thought it sounded DISGUSTING but I decided to give it a try and now I have it every morning! Tons of healthy fat right off the bat!

4. Avocado - I usually eat half with breakfast and half with lunch.

 

I had to lay off the nuts because they didn't keep me full unless I had more than one serving, which seemed counterproductive to me. Also I had to restrict almond butter because it's too easy to overeat. If I portion out a couple tablespoons to eat with my celery it is okay, but otherwise I would just eat it with a spoon and that can start to be trouble.

 

Good luck!

[ladyshanny]

I have seen that template before (it is actually on my fridge) which is why I thought having the amount of avocado I do every day ok, but wasn't 100% sure, so thanks for that. When I read other posts, I'm starting to think I just need to add more to my meals. I'm used to having smaller portions and snacking throughout the day so that has been a challenge for me. I'm on day 15 so hopefully I haven't messed this whole thing up 

 

When you say to try other fats, would that be by them self or in/on things? I have ghee at home, but I assume I would need to cook something in it. I'm not really an olive fan. I'll definitely look at cutting down on my nuts though. 

 

An example day would be this for me:

Breakfast - usually 2 eggs. Lately I've been having egg bake with spinach, mushrooms, red pepper, onion, pork sausage. Today I did add fruit salad made with grapes, strawberries, blueberries and pineapple, but I know you all warn against too much fruit. So what else should I add to make sure I'm full? 

Lunch - usually left over dinner from the night before, so protein and veggies. Today was chicken and zucchini meatballs (2 of them) with a avocado and tomato salad (about a cup). I did also have the nuts and about a dozen baby carrots

Dinner - I try to do protein and veggies as much as possible. Friday I had a chicken and avocado salad with tomato and peppers added. I probably had about a cup of shredded chicken and 2 avocados. Tonight I'm trying something new - a paleo chicken alfredo using spaghetti squash as noodles and cashew/coconut milk as the sauce. I plan to add broccoli, red pepper, zucchini and garlic to the mix.

Pre-workout (I workout at the gym 3 days a week, I play ultimate frisbee 2 times a week and do a lunch walk for about 20 min almost every day) - I struggle here but last week I did have a half chicken breast and some nuts which helped as pre-wo then had a tuna sweet potato burger after workout. Today I didn't plan well so I might have another slice of egg bake as pre-wo since I read eggs were a good option as the pre-wo meal. 

Fluids - I drink water all day, sometimes sparkling if its around. No coffee only tea

 

I know I'm eating the right foods (in regard to what I can have vs what I can't), but I do struggle on the portion part of this. If I follow the template, should I be adding all those sources of fat per meal?

Errr....you are not eating enough food.  Full stop.  Eggs, if they are your protein, are as many as you can hold in your hand.  That is at least 3-4 for most women.  Try adding another egg and some other form of protein for greater lasting power.  Ditch the fruits and add cooked veggies...about 1-3 cups.

 

Lunch: unless your meatballs were enormous, you need more than 2.  Protein is 1-2 palms worth...something like meatballs you'll have to eyeball it but you could probably eat more than 2.  Salad greens are pretty "fluffy" and when you eat them they shrink down to almost nothing.  Cooked veggies in a greater quantity will get you further.  

 

And as jmcbn said, try some homemade mayo, animal fats (for cooking), drizzle sesame or avocado oil on your food if you don't like olive.