Day 11, hungry and tired

[alelaria]

Hello All! 

 

I'm on Day 11 of my first Whole 30. So far, I haven't had much of the "hardest day" stuff, though I seem to be moving through the timeline about a day or two later than as it was explained. I'm having two issues, though, that I'm hoping to get some help with.

 

First, I'm REALLY tired in the afternoon, usually around 2-3 p.m. until at least 6 p.m. I've gotten 7-8 hours of sleep for the past few nights, plus a couple bonus hours over the weekend. The tiredness started on Day 2-3, and hasn't left me since. I've tried adding half a cup of coffee to the end of my lunch, but that just seems to push the tiredness to start at 5p.m. and having me in bed by 8 p.m. 

 

Second, I find myself practically starving about an hour or so after lunch, and again after dinner. I was an "eat small meals every two-to-three hours" kind of person before Whole 30, so I'm not sure if I'm just adjusting, or if I'm not eating enough. It's manageable, but annoying. 

 

I do some sort of work out or dance class a few times a week, and I've been enjoying a post workout meal, but haven't tried adding in a pre-workout meal (My stomach doesn't handle food very well when I run, and I usually workout in the morning before work). 

 

Here's what I've been eating the past few days: 

 

In general, I drink three plus liters of water a day, plus coffee and tea (caff and herbal).

 

Breakfast 7:30 a.m.: 

Butternut squash soup ( squash, sausage, kale, onion, pepper, chicken broth, coconut milk) approx 2 cup serving

2 hard-boiled eggs with a cup of Wholly Guacamole 

 

Post-workout Noon: 

three coconut chicken tenders (approx 1 chicken breast)

cauliflower fried rice (with carrot and scallion)

 

Lunch 12:45: 

2 Roast beef (pretty fatty, palm size) lettuce wraps with mustard

roasted potatoes and carrots (approx 1 cup) 

 

Snack 2 p.m.: 

Handful of home-dried apples/pineapple 

nuts  (almond, pistachio, cashew)

 

Dinner 5 p.m.: 

Steak (palm size)

Roasted red potatoes (approx 1 c)

roasted broccoli (approx 1 c)

 

*no work out this day

Breakfast: 

Homemade breakfast sausage (2 pieces)

2 hard-boiled eggs

tomato juice (6 oz) 

kiwi 

 

Lunch

3 Roast beef (pretty fatty, palm size) lettuce wraps with mustard

banana

 

Snack: 

Apple with handful of nuts (almond, pistachio, cashew)

 

Dinner

Steak

Acorn Squash (3/4 of squash)

brussels sprouts (1 cup)

 

 

*no work out this day

Breakfast: 

Breakfast sausage (2 pieces)

bacon (2 pieces) 

3 egg "muffins" (roasted red pepper, prosciutto, egg) with a cup of wholly guacamole 

sweet potato hash 

 

Lunch: 

Giant salad (lettuce, onion, tomato, cucumber) with a grilled chicken breast and oil and vinegar dressing

 

Dinner: 

Pot roast (fatty cut, palm size serving)

potatoes and carrots (approx 2 cups)

banana with almond butter

 

Thanks in advance for any help you can give! I'm sticking with it, but would like to not feel like going to bed mid-afternoon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Brewer5]

Your afternoon snacks of fruit & nuts really should go, and are probably contributing to your feeling tired in the afternoon.

Try making your lunch more satiating overall, by adding more protein, more fat, more fibrous veggies -- or all three. And skip the afternoon snacking. This should help.

Another thought is that carbs are calming. If I eat them for breakfast and lunch, it does not serve me well. You could try keeping your starchy carbs for post-workout and in your evening meal, and see if you notice a difference in how you feel.

Lastly, I will say that if you MUST have that "snack" -- make it a mini-meal. Protein + veggie + fat. Nuts are considered a fat for the purpose of a Whole 30, so when you eat fruit & nuts you are really just getting sugar & fat. Too many people do this, and it is just not ideal.

[TriGirlD]

Hello, 

I'm on day 12, so pretty on par with you. The first week I felt the way you seem to be.  I was also a grazer, and had a really hard time adjusting to less meals.  I guess, a few points: 

- I would really try the Pre-WO snack. I was very resistant, but now I find that when i forget that, I'm much more hungry during the afternoon and evening than if I had it. I usually do something light like a hardboiled egg and coconut flakes (separate, not mixed together ), a few pieces of compliant jerky and part of a sweet potato, or some prosciutto rolled up and almonds. 

- Also, I don't see much fat added to your meals. I was told that I really needed to add more, even if the meat is fatty.  Add a palmful of olives, a whole avocado, nuts, seeds, or coconut flakes to your meals. I bet that will help with the hunger.

 

Yesterday, I definitely wanted a nap! But it was better today.  Good luck!

[jmcbn]

Just to clarify about the pre & postWO thing - preWO the recommendation is for a lean protein and a fat, postWO the recommendation is for a lean protein and a starchy carb - whether or not you need either will depend on the intensity of your WO, and when you last ate. Some people do well with just fat preWO, and some manage fine with just protein postWO - this is something you can play around with to see what works best for you.

I agree with Brewer about the snacks & the starchy veg - the snacks need to go, or they need to be protein & fat if you are genuinely hungry, and the starchy veg may well be best held back to meal three to avoid the afternoon slump.

I think you need to work on the composition of your meals a little - think more aboout the meal template - 1-2 palms of protein, 1-3 cups of veg (with 3 being optimal), a generous serving of good fat, fruit should not push the veg off of your plate - your breakfast this morning was light on protein for instance, your lunch light on fat, and I see no fat at all in your dinner - remembering that what we eat has a cumulative effect on how we feel you'll understand how getting the composition right will really help negate the need for the snacks & help stabilize your blood sugar.

[ultrarunnergirl]

Some suggestions:

 

If you're feeling tired, definitely eat both lean protein and some starchy veg postWO (like sweet potato, beets, rutabaga, winter squash).

 

You're low on veggies. Lettuce wraps are nice but you really need an additional cup or two of veggies. Remember that also greens are not very filling, add in something like carrots or broccoli perhaps.

 

I would add some fat, too.