Whole30 with a Lap-Band

[adawn412]

This is my first Whole30. I have a lap-band. I'm only on day 2 and I'm noticing a challenge that I'd appreciate some advice/help with. I feel too full. And that's with eating smaller than 'normal' portions -- they are still larger than my typical portions. I feel full after dinner and by breakfast I still feel full and when it's time for lunch I still feel full. Don't get me wrong, my brain is telling me I'm hungry and I'm experiencing that mind-struggle that hopefully is working toward re-training my brain but my throat/esophagus/stomach feel heavy and stuffed, like I'll be sick if I eat. I've had the band for six years with success and requested this summer that it be put at minimal tightness so taking out additional fluid isn't really an option. I think my body is just so used to much smaller meals 5-6 times a day that the 3 meal expectation is proving very challenging already. Any advice? Will it eventually adjust? Could I maybe try 4 slightly smaller meals? In addition to this, my schedule as a teacher is not ideal -- my lunch period is only 20 mins and it is at 11AM and I DEFINITELY am not hungry yet from my breakfast. So 20 mins is enough to have that smaller meal but not really a full one. So I was thinking about breakfast 7AM, small meal 11AM, small meal 3PM and dinner 7PM? 

[Tom Denham]

Eating 4 meals per day is a respectable approach to eating given your circumstances. Actually, I ate 4-5 meals per day for a long time after I began Whole30-style eating, although my meals were not small. I just did not understand how to compose a good plate with enough fat to last very long. We tell nursing mothers to eat 4 meals per day as a standard practice to keep up with nutrition needs. Your body appreciates getting some rest between meals, but you can still have an awesome experience eating more than 3 times per day. Just be sure to make all your meals template-compliant with protein, fat, and veggies. 

[adawn412]

Fabulous! Thank you!