Lost my appetite

[swriter15]

So, Day 18 of my first Whole30 and this week has been rough. Last week was good and I was feeling slim and energized, but unfortunately this week coincided with my cycle and now I just feel bloated and tired. It's really frustrating to feel like my energy is zapped and all my pants are tight. 

 

On top of that, I've lost my appetite and I realized not eating as much as I should could also be contributing to my lack of energy but nothing sounds good! Well, that's not exactly true. For the first two weeks I was eating the same thing.

 

M1: Cubed white potatoes cooked cooked in ghee with bell peppers and onions, 2 fried eggs

M2: Large bowl of fresh broccoli slaw, grass-fed beef patty and homemade ranch 

M3: Ground turkey asian lettuce wraps (ground turkey,water chesnuts, mushrooms and coconut aminos wrapped in lettuce.)

 

I could honestly eat this again but I was worried I'd get burned out so I changed everything this week. I got a little overzealous and may a lot of recipes that turned out fine but just aren't as appetizing.  I'm feeling really guilty about wanting to scrap all the food I made and go back to what I was eating. Last week in a pinch (conferences all day) I incorporated compliant turkey bologna or hot dogs with guacamole, carrots and plantain chips. That meal also sounds good but I worried about all the processed meats even if they are compliant.  

 

Needless to say, I haven't been eating much this week. I'll eat a good breakfast but kind of fall off from there. I'll eat a little protein at lunch but even when I start to eat nothing tastes good.  Any ideas? Help!

[MrsMcG]

I don't eat the exact same things every day but for my protein I do seem to stick to the same three or four main meals.

 

Maybe to get some variety without scaring your appetite away you could keep your main staple meals similar but add a different veggie to each one? You could definitely stand to up your veggie intake. I try to eat at least five servings a day. Usually six or seven.

 

Or maybe mix up your fat sources. Speaking of fat sources, you don't mention serving sizes but I know I personally felt better and had more energy when I upped my fat intake, especially at breakfast. My favorites for healthy fats are avocado, coconut oil, ghee, unsweetened coconut flakes, olives, and cashews. I limit cashews to once or twice a week because I've heard they are not the best source of fat, but I digest them well and enjoy them so I do include them occasionally.

 

Hope that helps!

[jmcbn]

First off if you feel like eating the same thing all the time then that's fine, although you will miss out on the valuable nutrients you'd getting from eating a wider range of veg.

It's actually very common to lose your appetite at some point in the program and what we suggest you do is that you prepare a template meal as usual, eat around the plate (ie. don't just eat the protein), pack up what you can't eat & then eat the rest as a mini meal as soon as you feel able. Your appetite will soon return with vigor.

When I lose my appetite I find it helps to either add stronger flavours (pickles, curries etc.) or to really stick to the bland like scrambled eggs, tomatoes, avocado & bacon.

As an aside your meals look on the small side. Eggs when they are your only source of protein should be the number of whole eggs you can hold in one hand, which is 3-4 for most people. It's often good though to mix up your proteins (say ground beef with your eggs for example) as this will help carry you for longer. Also, your meal three doesn't look to contain any fat and really the fat will make you feel better.

Remember also that if it's that time of the month for you then your mood and appetite may well be effected too. Maybe include some more starchy veg over the next few days to get you over the hump.

This too will pass....