too much red meat? Dr says it's unhealthy & I weighed myself

[reneeruecks]

So this is kind of two parts, I went to the Dr today and they had to weigh me.  I obvi looked, I am up a pound! I"m on day 7, I was hoping I would have lost something instead of gained! : / I am doing this for a few diff reasons, but weight is def number .   I need to lose at least 60lbs. So I'm a little bummed about that. (I'm not even thinking of starting over)

 

Second, I have been eating a lot of red meat this first week.  All I want is ground beef! And my dr said to stay away from it bc it's not good for you and is unhealthy.  I was a little surprised. It's all grassfed and organic. I know everything in moderation but should I really stay away from it??

 

 

[GFChris]

Being up a pound in a week can be due to a variety of reasons: undigested food, bloat, time of day you were weighed among them.  Weight loss is typically not linear, so I encourage you to stay the course and gently remind you that this is a 30 day program.

 

If you are concerned with whether you are on the right track with your Whole30, post a few days worth of your food log, including portion sizes, daily water consumption, nightly hours of sleep and any exercise. We can check to see whether anything merits changing.

A blanket statement to "stay away from red meat because it's not good for you and unhealthy" is inaccurate.

Your doctor might have been referring to all the buzz in the past week due to last week's WHO report.  You can read some of the latest perspectives here along with Melissa Hartwig's response here.

[Carlaccini]

When I did my first whole 30  - 3 years ago now - the first week I wanted nothing but fatty cuts of beef morning noon and night.  I too was concerned with the extreme need for red meat - after all we have been told for years that red meat is bad for us right?

 

I questioned it, if this craving red meat was good thing or a bad thing - I was advised to roll with it - it was obvious my body was craving something that it was getting from beef - and once my body got the idea that it would be getting it on a regular basis from now on - the cravings calmed down.  I have since learned that my body was working on an extreme nutrient deficit - my craving red meat was a natural reaction from being deprived. (I rarely ate red meat previously)

 

That being said this is a whole 30 not a whole 7 - to expect to see a change after only 7 days is asking a bit much.  As GF Chris mentions - there are soooooo many factors at play here.

[reneeruecks]

thanks!  I've been eating a lot of eggs, ground beef and bacon (two or 3 slices twice a day) I usually have a handful of cashews a couple times a day too. I had fish and chicken today but I really just want the beef! I think the weight just bothered me today bc I am feeling it a little today.  I want something chocolate so bad for some reason and cake or bread!  I'm sick of sweet potatoes for  carbs.  And I'm super tired and have been sleeping HORRIBLY the past week. And I've been starving all day. Today has just been a little rough, my mood is still positive though : )

[ShannonM816]

If you're starving, eat. If you need options for other starchy vegetables, try any of the winter squashes (acorn, butternut, kabocha, spaghetti, etc.), root vegetables (beets, turnips, rutabagas, carrots, potatoes, etc.) plantain, jicama, pumpkin.

 

Some people find having starchy vegetables in their last meal of the day helps them to sleep at night, so that might be something to play around with and see if you notice a difference.

[kirkor]

Beef = goodness; your doctor may be well a intentioned but he is mistaken.

[reneeruecks]

i am getting sick of all those veggies :/  hopefully tomorrow will be better.  I eat until i'm full but I do get hungry 2-3hrs after

[Seafarer]

Maybe increase your fat content? I know it feels counterintuitive to eat, eat, eat, but believe me when I say this is exactly what you should do. If you are hungry, up your portions to the high side of the meal template. When I first started on Round One I didn't believe it either, but two successful Whole30's later my best advice is to ignore what you think you know & eat. If you can't last 4 - 5 hours, you aren't eating enough. First your body will heal. Then it will start to trust you to keep it nourished. Then you will lose weight.

 

On the veggies.... look through the recipe section of the forum, check out Melissa Joulwan's "Well Fed" site, find some different vegs & learn what to do with them. I find I do best with something different thrown in there every couple of weeks. You might need to change it up more frequently.

 

Oh yeah.... and EAT.    ​​

[dlocs1021]

Definitely check out that Well Fed site,  so many great ideas, I made two of her recipes last week. Also check out Nom Nom Paleo, some yummy whole 30 recipes there, I made a delicious pot of pumpkin bisque as my veggie "side" for lunch at work this week, robust and yummy. I can share the recipe if you would like. Definitely dont focus on the weight. As women our weight fluctuates so much in one week and its also hard to know if your scale is in sync with the MD office scale ( I always feel I am 3 or 4 pounds more than my home scale every time I go to my Dr.'s office). Keep going, you are doing so well!

 

I say as far as the beef goes you have gotten some great advice above...................also I think eating great quality red meat is much more healthy than reaching for a bag of processed chips or cookies but thats just me  your doc should commend you for making such a big change and a big commitment to your overall health.