Question about how much is too much potatoes

[MamaJ]

I eat a sweet potato every day for breakfast and one of my other two meals includes potatoes. I noticed there were some days that all three meals included potatoes.

 

How much is too much potato? The potatoes for meals 2 and 3 vary between white and sweet.

 

To add backstory:

I recently lost 66 lbs. (3.6 of which were during Whole30, day 30 was Monday).

I am 5'0" and now weigh 194 lbs.

So... I still have a good bit of fat left to lose to be considered healthy by the general medical community. My goal is somewhere between 120 and 140.

 

I'm striving for a balance between eating great, whole foods and making sure my portions are aligned with fat loss. Thanks!

[Tom Denham]

We generally recommend at least one fist-size serving of a starchy veggie like potatoes per day and more if needed to feel good and perform well. Three servings per day may be more than you need, but that is really something for you to test and see for yourself. You certainly can lose weight while eating 3 servings per day because many people do. However, if you feel good while eating only two servings per day, you might want to see how you do with one serving per day. Just don't risk going to zero servings per day. 

[katie_g]

I dont see stratchy stuff really on the meal template. What am I missing

[Brewer5]

I dont see stratchy stuff really on the meal template. What am I missing

 

That's right.  The template only mentions "carb-dense vegetables" specifically in the post-workout section of the meal template sheet.

 

The fist-sized serving of starchy vegetables daily is what you will see mentioned here on the forums -- time and time again -- by moderators.  It is not a requirement, it is a recommendation.

[jmcbn]

Yes it's a recommendation, but one that we give based on the experiences of the vast majority of people coming to Whole30 from a traditional SAD diet. Just like the recommendations we give to stamp out cravings with fat & not to feed them with fruit, or to avoid foods like monkey salad as they don't follow the template, or to not rely on nuts as a fat source.... Just as the template itself is a recommendation.

Those that have experience in strict paleo may well fair well without the starches, but those that are new to this way of eating generally don't - when starting out at least.

I get that low carb/keto works for a lot of folk, but it is not something that can be ventured into lightly, or without some understanding of the process. And I'd imagine those that do find success in reducing their carbs, take baby steps to get there perhaps after eating paleo/primal for some time, then maybe experimenting further with Whole30, & then making some personal tweaks armed with the knowledge they have gained as they have gone along.
 

For someone new to this way of eating following the recommendations as well as the rules generally gives the best results.
 

[Tom Denham]

I find it easy to go without eating starchy, carb-dense veggies. Going low-carb does not impair my energy for daily life or physical training. However, it erodes my sleep quality and quantity big time. Once I figured that out, I began making a habit of eating potatoes every day. Sleep is one of the most important things I can do to protect my health. 

[Brewer5]

I fully understand why the recommendation is made, most of the time.  I also know that some folks are confused about it -- as shown in multiple threads lately, like this one, titled:  "Confused".  

 

http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/32134-confused/#entry349193

 

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In the case of the OP -- MamaJ -- I have loosely followed your log through your Whole 30 journey, and I still think that ditching the Larabars for real and for good would do you so much good.  No snacks of fruit & nuts or nut butters...........  I'd love to see you conquer this one before you ever think of giving up your potatoes.

[MamaJ]

While I totally get that Larabars are essentially junk, I ate a total of 6 over the course of 30 days. And I was breastfeeding, working 50+ hours/week, closing on our first home, etc. I'm a gracious enough person that I'm giving myself grace.

[Brewer5]

Please understand that I have been there, done that with Larabars, trail mixes, nuts & nut butters, etc -- and the advice I give is because I can now look back and see how they affected my journey. I wish you all the best on yours, MamaJ.

[ladyshanny]

While I totally get that Larabars are essentially junk, I ate a total of 6 over the course of 30 days. And I was breastfeeding, working 50+ hours/week, closing on our first home, etc. I'm a gracious enough person that I'm giving myself grace.

Absolutely, grace is in order.  I understood her comment to be that before you worry about vegetables that are starchy and what quantities to eat them in, you'd want to have eliminated the things that affect your blood sugar/cravings in a more significant way first.  That's all.  Starchy veggies and their quantities and tweaking them down would have little appreciable effect if you were still using larabars and fruit and nuts for stop-gaps in your plan.  You will get more bang for your "weight loss buck" that you mention above, by eating the amount of starchy veggie that feels right for you and further limiting the fruit/nuts.

 

All that said, you don't have to limit or eliminate any of these items in order to be successful.  Unless you are going severely overboard in portions, you should be perfectly successful and coming to an appropriate weight "resting place" by eating real food including those potatoes, some fruits and even the occasional larabar.