Whole30 reaction timeline way off

[jknolmed21]

I know the outline that is provided in the book(s) is only a guideline, but I feel like my reactions are way off. I never went through carb flu or even feeling bad really, even though my diet was pretty bad before this (ice cream nearly every day), and didn't even have cravings. I'm on day 13, and today I have almost passed out several times, my legs have become weak and I needed help walking, I've had air hunger, have had anxiety, and am really craving sweets and carbs horribly! I don't know what to do!!!

 

Seems like everything is delayed. And I'm just so scared that all my symptoms will come back and I'm going to continue feeling awful, or get worse. I'm kind of freaking out right now. Has anyone (with a med problem) had this experience? 

[Tom Denham]

What you are describing is not normal. If you would post several days of the food you have been eating, amount of water you are drinking, and a review of your activity levels and sleeping, we could offer specific feedback that could be a big help. Just guessing, I wonder if you are going too low-carb and need to increase the volume of starchy veggies you are eating. Most people perform and feel much better if they eat at least one serving of potatoes, parsnips, plantains, rutabagas, etc. per day. If you have not, you should try 2-3 servings per day until you feel better. 

[SugarcubeOD]

You are not eating enough. I went and had a look through your log.

On August the 4th, you had an egg and 2 hotdogs for your protein. The next day you had 2 eggs as your protein. This is not a sufficient amount of protein for a grown woman to eat. It's no wonder you feel awful!

Nutrition is cumulative and you're 'accumulating' a very significant nutrition deficit at this rate.

Have you seen the meal planning template? It's linked below in my signature. It calls for 1-2 palms of protein (your own palms thickness, length and width), 1-3 cups of vegetables with EVERY meal and 1-2 thumbs of added fat. Bacon for the purposes of meal planning is considered a fat. Eggs when they are your sole source of protein at a meal are as many as you can hold in one hand without dropping. That is at least 3-4 for even the smallest woman.

If you are trying to repair hormones as well as not feel like poop like you did today, then you need to eat. Eat real food in great quantities. It's really no wonder you don't feel good

[jknolmed21]

You are not eating enough. I went and had a look through your log.

On August the 4th, you had an egg and 2 hotdogs for your protein. The next day you had 2 eggs as your protein. This is not a sufficient amount of protein for a grown woman to eat. It's no wonder you feel awful!

Nutrition is cumulative and you're 'accumulating' a very significant nutrition deficit at this rate.

Have you seen the meal planning template? It's linked below in my signature. It calls for 1-2 palms of protein (your own palms thickness, length and width), 1-3 cups of vegetables with EVERY meal and 1-2 thumbs of added fat. Bacon for the purposes of meal planning is considered a fat. Eggs when they are your sole source of protein at a meal are as many as you can hold in one hand without dropping. That is at least 3-4 for even the smallest woman.

If you are trying to repair hormones as well as not feel like poop like you did today, then you need to eat. Eat real food in great quantities. It's really no wonder you don't feel good

Oy, I suck at knowing how much to eat. I had eating issues since about 13 (i'm 25 now). I often thought I was overeating when I wasn't, and yet I gained weight. Plus my mom doesn't eat very much either I guess so I feel like I'm always eating too much. I also do have trouble with vegetables because I don't know how to make them appealing I guess, or what's easiest. Food is so confusing. And I was actually getting more energy I thought. But then today happened.

[jknolmed21]

What you are describing is not normal. If you would post several days of the food you have been eating, amount of water you are drinking, and a review of your activity levels and sleeping, we could offer specific feedback that could be a big help. Just guessing, I wonder if you are going too low-carb and need to increase the volume of starchy veggies you are eating. Most people perform and feel much better if they eat at least one serving of potatoes, parsnips, plantains, rutabagas, etc. per day. If you have not, you should try 2-3 servings per day until you feel better. 

 

Tom, here's a link to my meal log: http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/29987-whole30-journey/

[SugarcubeOD]

Oy, I suck at knowing how much to eat. I had eating issues since about 13 (i'm 25 now). I often thought I was overeating when I wasn't, and yet I gained weight. Plus my mom doesn't eat very much either I guess so I feel like I'm always eating too much. I also do have trouble with vegetables because I don't know how to make them appealing I guess, or what's easiest. Food is so confusing. And I was actually getting more energy I thought. But then today happened.

The good part is that the Whole30 has guidelines to help you! The idea is to get 4-5 hours between meals without the need to snack... my recommendation would be for you to eat to the top end of the template for the next few days to get nutrition into you and then see where you're at. Also, don't compare yourself to other people. YOU eat until YOU feel full and satisfied, If that's four eggs and a mound of roasted broc and cauliflower all drenched in home made mayo based sauce, then eat that! You are only responsible for yourself... you will notice that lots of us feel judged for how we eat but that is a side effect of the SAD culture, not an indication of anything we are doing wrong.

Google 'whole30 how to cook vegetables' and youll find dozens of threads full of great ideas for how to cook vegetables well and delicious! I would send you some links but I"m on my ipad so it's difficult.

Please try eating to the template as linked below for a few days. Don't skimp, don't count calories, don't weigh your food, don't count carrots... just eat until you're full and then when you feel hungry again, eat again. Rinse and repeat.

(also note that since nutrition IS cumulative, you may feel lousy for a few days until your body is levelled back off and it trusts you're going to feed it)

[jmcbn]

Just to add to the advice you've been given above I'd say that your reliance on Lara Bars is probably also contributing to the way you are feeling.

A lara bar, which you had at meal one yesterday, is about as close to candy as you can get on Whole30, apart from maybe straight up dates which you ate later in the day. Consider that having fasted over night the sugar content of your larabar immediately caused a spike in your blood sugar, which would have been followed by a slump - which you then spike again with the mango & dates. This is only continuing to feed your sugar dragon, hence the cravings. Many peole choose not to eat fruit for this reason. I'd suggest that if you *must* eat fruit you stick to berries which are less likely to cause any spikes.

Also, there was little protein in your meals right up until meal three, assuming there was beef in your chilli alongside the sweet potato. Nuts & bacon are a fat source & the thin slices of turkey you ate are negligible - you probably could have eaten the entire pack to get anywhere near a palm sized piece, bearing in mind that means the length, width & depth of your palm. It is the protein that gives you the staying power to go the 4-5hrs between meals.

There are hundreds of ways of prepping veg to make them tasty, but the easiest by far is roasting them in an oven tray - chop up your veg of choice (I do a mix of sweet potato, carrot, onion, zucchini, turnip, parsnip, radishes, peppers etc), grind on some salt & pepper & whatever other herbs/spices of your choice (I like to add chilli flakes, cayenne, cumin etc and make them a bit spicy), add your cooking fat of choice - coconut oil works well here, or lard, or I sometimes mix two types of fat together.... Bung them in the oven for about 45 mins or so depending on how 'cooked' you like them & bob's your uncle. You can do two trays of different veg with different spices & you have a variety of flavours then to keep you going through the week.

You really, really do need to eat more though.