Sad on Whole30?

[Titan Girl]

Hi Ladies,

 

I was hoping for some advice from anyone who has been through a similar situation to what I'm facing now. I have an 8 month old daughter and am having trouble recovering from pregnancy and her birth and thought Whole30 might help. I am on day 5 of my first Whole30, physically I feel really good and I can definitely feel that things are improving so I'm really determined to keep with the plan but mentally I'm falling apart. For the last two days I've been feeling very sad, crying a lot for no real reason and just feel like it's such an effort to get through the day. I didn't feel this way before beginning Whole30.

 

I wondered whether anyone had any advice as to what I could do to help with this? I think it might be low blood sugar related but no matter what I eat I can't seem to shake it. I feel a little better after a meal but that doesn't last long.

 

Thanks in advance for anyone who is able to help out.

 

[jmcbn]

HI Titan Girl & welcome to Whole30

I'm sorry to hear you're feeling so down and wonder if it might be that you're not including enough starchy veg in your meals as this can greatly impact mood - especially for women. The recommendation would be for at least a fist sized serving per day, but in your case you may benefit from a bit more especially until things improve for you...

Could you list a few days worth of typical food/liquid intake so that we can take a look and hopefully suggest some tweaks to help you feel better?

[Titan Girl]

Thanks for your reply!

 

My day yesterday:

 

Breakfast:

- Salmon cakes (from the book) with green salad, mayo & broccoli

- Black Coffee

- Nectarine

 

Lunch:

- Baked Pureed Pumpkin, Coconut Milk, Egg & Pumpkin Pie Spice

- Green Smoothie with Spinach, Acocado, Blueberries, Banana & Raw Cacao Powder

 

Dinner:

- Big bowl of Beef & Vegetable Stew with potoatoes, carrots, partnip, turnip etc.

- Grapes

 

I also drink around 2 litres of water a day. This morning I was feeling pretty bad so had white potato slices with olive oil baked in the oven with a nectarine & an egg & coffee. That made me feel quite a bit better for an hour or so but then the same thing happened. Lunch was left over stew from last night with grapes. I'm not sure if perhaps I'm having too much sugar and not enough protein?

[jmcbn]

Ok, there are a couple of things I'd suggest...

M1 - Cut out the fruit & replace with more of everything else - sugar, even when it's naturally occuring in fruit, when eaten in the morning having fasted overnight can play havoc with blood sugars and can cause a slump later in the day which will effect both your mood & your energy. Make sure you're having your coffee after you've eaten as it suppresses the appetite.

M2 - Eat real food. There is not NEARLY enough protein here & WAY too much sugar. Smoothies are greatly discouraged on Whole30 as drinking your food rather than chewing it leaves you less satiated, and smoothies tend to be high in sugar.

M3 - this is much more to template and what you should be aiming for three times a day. Just ensure there is adequate protein in the bowl & don't forget the fat.

Consider that the food we eat has a cumulative effect so if you've been eating this way since you started then one serving of starchy veg is not going to fix things so add at least one serving per day as suggested - & more if you feel the need.

Are you also nursing? If so then you should be adding in at least another mini-meal or a 4th meal as per the template....

Honestly, ditch the fruit, and stick to protein, fats & veggies - lots of them, and you'll soon start to feel better.

Hope this helps!


 

[Titan Girl]

M2 yesterday was a little out of the ordinary as I needed something on the run I could keep out of the fridge. Obviously I need to work on finding better alternatives!  I'm also nursing so I'll add in the extra meal as well. I'm so relieved that I wasn't doing it quite right and all I need to do is make a few tweeks.

 

Thanks again for your help!

[jmcbn]

Add the fourth meal for sure until you start to feel better, and then you can adjust down to a mini meal if you feel you're getting enough - we want you t be happy, not sad......

Let us know how you go!

[Noelle]

I have an 8 month old daughter and am having trouble recovering from pregnancy and her birth and thought Whole30 might help.

This jumped out at me immediately. I don't know what your particular situation entails, but I want you to know you're not alone. Even the most normal, "boring" pregnancy and birth is challenging. And if you had any complications or stressors on top of that? It's no wonder you're still working on recovery.

I would strongly encourage you to add a fourth meal, especially since you're nursing. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. I think, as busy moms, we hear/read the word "meal" and it seems really daunting. Like, "I have to feed and care for this little person, and feed myself an extra template meal every day?!" Make a big protein salad (tuna, chicken, egg—whatever you like) or frittata and portion it out so you always have something nourishing and veggie-filled to grab.

The weepiness is your hormones settling down—from the change in diet, but also from pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding. Starchy vegetables will ease the transition. Don't "ditch the fruit" if you enjoy it, but maybe reduce it, and fill in that space with vegetables. So, half a nectarine and some sweet potatoes with breakfast. And get your fats! You need those for mood and happy hormones, too. Adding more fat makes a world of difference for me, personally—especially from fish oil or fatty fish.

Walks, if you can take them, will boost your mood as well. Fifteen minutes of exercise is better than no minutes of exercise.

Finally, I want you to feel encouraged: Whole30 will help you recover from your daughter's birth. I did my first Whole30 after a fairly dramatic postpartum experience, and it undoubtedly set my health in the right direction. If you'd like to message me, feel free.

Four template meals, plenty of good carbs and fats, move a little, rest when you can. Things will improve.