I'm not an Athlete but I thought this may be the best section for answers

[eboyle86]

I follow Whole30 as it helps me feel better (digestion issues) with the added benefit that I've been maintaining my weight in the low 140s for a few months now. I still have some weight to lose and really need to exercise more but right now, I do best with eating real food and maintaining.

Now for the point of the post, I'm interested if anyone has fit Flexible Dieting/Eating Per Macros into their Whole30. When I first started my weightloss journey I would count calories to stay within 1200 a day. This resulted in a lot of processed diet foods. I went from 225 lbs (highest was just under 250) to 158lbs. I then learned about Whole30 and stopped counting calories and simply ate real food. I'm pretty sure I still overeat from time to time, but I've maintained my current weight of the low 140s for a few months, having been under 155 since the beginning of this year. I'd like to see if it's possible to fit Macros into my Whole30 to optimize the weightloss portion of my nutrition. Now for my height, weight and age etc, online Macro calculators have said that I should eat:

 

1274 Calories (aimed at Fat Loss)

72 Carbs

116 Protein

58 Fat

29-35 Fiber

 

I've always been a calorie person and never really checked into the other factors for food. I'm a little overwhelmed lol. I just ate a banana with my lunch and it's not all that great based on what I should eat based on Macros:

 

1 medium banana:

27 Carbs

1.3 Protein

0.4 Fat

3.1 Fiber

 

Everything but the carbs seem ok. Does anyone have any experience in Macros while eating Real Foods? I'm guessing it might just come down to eating mostly meat/eggs/protein and lots of veggies and carefully adding in starchy veggies and the occasional banana type carb?

 

Any info or sites that you can point me to would be great.

 

Erin

[ladyshanny]

Hey Erin, you won't get macro blending/calorie counting or any sort of tracking advice here.  The only "combining" that Whole30 works with is the meal template and the pre and post workout recommendations and the only tracking is the food logs.

 

That said, how tall are you?  Are you sure, that with eating real, whole foods in a manner that supports your entire life (including our penchant to treat/snack/overeat sometimes), that you aren't settling at the weight you should be at?  You've lost a lot of weight and the fact that you have continued to lose over this year (sounds like it, anyway) is a good sign that you are on the right track.  Maybe it's slower than you would prefer but counting macros and calories in order to force your body to do something isn't what Whole30 or this community is about.

 

If you are interested in hearing any possible tweaks surrounding your current intake, please feel free to post a few typical days of food (include portion sizes), fluids, exercise, sleep and stress.  There might be some easy tweaks you can make?

[eboyle86]

Hey Shanny,

 

Thanks for replying. I'm 5'5" ish. My main issue and reason for trying to do the fat loss is that I still have more than I'd like in the mid-section. My arms are also larger but more flabby/flappy now than before lol. I was hoping that if I improved my macro intake and started/learned some home strength training that I may be able to get rid of the last little bit of excess fat. My long term goal is to save enough to get the excess skin removed (I know, I know, love your body and all but I'd still like to be able to wear a bikini and be proud of how I look instead of being embarassed, which I know has a lot to do with self acceptance but still it's my long term goal) so I'd like to have as much of the fat loss as possible. I tend to go up and down between 142 and 147 depending on the day/water intake and time of month. Who knows, maybe with proper work and food intake, I can get the skin to behave properly and not need the surgery.

 

I'll put together my meals etc tonight and see what I come up with. I think I may need to up my protein intake. I eat meat at every meal I just think I may not be eating enough.

Sorry if I've posted anything I shouldn't have. It was just an idea. I'm trying to come up with the best nutritional basis using everything I've done (weight loss and healing my gut) to keep moving in the right direction. If this is against the whole30 ideals, the post can be removed

[ladyshanny]

It doesn't need to be removed and it's not against the rules of posting, questions and discussions are always welcome.

 

Thanks for explaining where you are coming from.  Having been in a somewhat similar situation, I so highly recommend building muscle through heavy strength training.  It will truly make all the difference in your body composition (and go a long way towards teaching you body acceptance as you go along).

 

You would do better to figure what your own unique "formula" is going to be.  When I was my leanest and lifting heavy 4 days a week, I knew exactly what I needed to eat in order to maximize my performance, keep my energy and not feel deprived or hungry.  To be true I cannot remember exactly what that formula is now because it's NOTHING like what I need now to spin 3 days a week, go to work and have a proper functioning sex drive and a good night of sleep.

 

All this to say that working out your personal formula on how to balance your protein, fat and veggies/carbs is not wasted effort.  Trying to prescribe to an internet formula created by a stranger for someone who is not you...........is missing the mark.  Go by how you feel, how you can lift, how your body is changing.  And try not to discount the fact that you have made major change; plateau is a very real and required thing by the body....busting it is a marketing gimmick designed to part people from their money.