Day 9 and Struggling

[Emgee]

Ok, I have been faithful to the program (I ate a tiny amount of sugar early on, but did not know about it until too late) and adjusting to three full meals a day. I snacked a little when I got my period because I had some intense cravings which subsided quickly. i am now on Day 9 and getting discouraged. I have noticed some positive changes (no intense cravings for salty, crunchy things or sweets) but little else. I was kind of hoping for not wanting to Kill All the Things by now, but I am cranky. I have seen no improvement in my skin (I have psoriasis) which normally responds quickly to dietary changes, and my clothes are tight (I know. I read the day-to-day description in the book but it's still annoying). Also, It is so hard to carve out a time for breakfast and lunch at work. How much time should it take to eat a "meal?"  I ate part of my breakfast, then got interrupted, and now I am eating the rest of it - an hour later.  I don't have time to eat at home because I wake up super early and dash out with barely enough time to pack my lunch, then drive for an hour. Sorry to vent. I'm just frustrated. Help!

[Munkers]

First off, a reality check: You're NINE days into the program. This is a 30 day program and, really, that the minimum amount of time that's needed to really change things. You've been at it for not even a week and a half.

 

Pack your breakfast and lunch the night before so they're ready to go. If you absolutely can't or won't get up to spare 15 or 20 minutes for breakfast, then focus on packing a breakfast that you can eat in the car. Think finger foods and bring napkins. Meatballs, scotch eggs, a slice of breakfast casserole, egg  muffins, etc. For veggies--sweet potato cubes or spears, asparagus, crudite, etc. The most finger friendly fat will be olives or you can see about wrapping you fat into your protein. I used to add extra coconut or olive oil to my sausage mix to up the fat content of my finished product. You'll lose some of the added fat during the cooking process, though.

[Emgee]

Thanks for the reality check about the timeline!  You are correct, and I should be handling it better.

 

I pack my breakfast and lunch at night, but assemble my "lunchbox" in the morning. I'm up at 5, which is a little earlier so I can make sure I pack everything I need for the day without forgetting. This includes food, workout gear, and the stuff I need to bring for my actual job.

 

Eating in the car was one of the bad habits I'm trying to break (and I have, so far!). Being a little more mindful of my eating helps me with satiety and good choices later in the day. How long should a meal take? Can I allot an hour to Meal 1? If so, that might work if I could start my meal in the car just before arriving and finish up when I arrive. Then, it's about 6 hours until Meal 2, which is doable. 

[Munkers]

An hour is a pretty leisurely meal. A lot of people have to suffice with 30 minutes or less depending on what kind of breaks they get at work. If you can sit down and focus on your meal, 15-20 minutes is probably a good balance of not rushing your meal, but still being concious of time constraints.  That said though, I've definitely had occasions where I've wolfed down a meal in less than 10 minutes, maybe even down to 5.

 

Remember that one of your goals with meal 1 is to eat it within an hour of waking.

[Emgee]

I didn't say I sat and focused on my meal for an hour. Lol!

Sorry if that's how my question came across.

I just get interrupted constantly, and sometimes it takes an hour for me to consume the entire thing. Kind of like this: Start wolfing down chicken breast for lunch, get interrupted for 15 minutes. Return to lunch and eat salad/vegetables, get interrupted again in the middle of the salad. Return to salad/veggies 20 minutes later (now soggy).  I run a school, so emergencies are frequent and unpredictable. I thought I was safe doing a Whole 30 in the summer, but we have summer school so it's still a bit hectic. However, the relatively slower pace is the only reason I am able to stay on the plan right now. I don't think I could have done my first Whole 30 during the regular school year!  

[ladyshanny]

I didn't say I sat and focused on my meal for an hour. Lol!

Sorry if that's how my question came across.

 

LOL, I was just about to come and comment on how an hour seems like a really, REALLY long time to eat a plate of food.  I am naturally a really fast eater (I've tried to change this but I've now come to embrace that I speed-eat) so taking an hour made my eyes pop out!

 

I really think being able to close a door for 20 minutes and let your staff handle things for 20 minutes a day (or do damage control until your door opens 20 minutes later) is really important.  YOU are worth sitting down and decompressing for 20 minutes.  Truly.  People get used to how we treat them and if your staff/students are used to barging in and getting what they want exactly when they want it you might need to retrain them (and in doing so, show them how to value their meal time) so that you can have 20 uninterrupted minutes.

[fmr_sailor]

I am naturally a really fast eater (I've tried to change this but I've now come to embrace that I speed-eat)

Me too!!! I've gotten over trying to change it also!

[Emgee]

Me too!!! I've gotten over trying to change it also!

 

When I was a teacher, I learned to choke down lunch quickly as well!  I just find my Whole 30 meals a bit slower. Probably because it is hard to walk and eat a salad!