Trouble shooting for a newbie

[Heaven02]

I think I have been on a cycle of undereating and overeating probably for the last 20 years or so and recently I have been just out of control with eating.

 

I have put on 20 lbs in the last month.

 

I just started...day 3 today and I am not sure if I should start over.

 

Todays food

 

Meal 1 -  2 beef/liver patties 

 

Meal 2-  1 cup raw spinach, 2 cups raw lettuce (approximate) approximately 6 oz of chicken breast and chicken liver. Poured cod liver oil on it and coconut aminos. Some ground milk thistle seeds (I really want some kind of seeds or nuts but this seems like a lesser evil and I have it all day long and after meals mixed with coconut flour) coconut flour, and ground dandelion root.  

 

1 cup dandelion root and chicory "coffee" with a teaspoon of coconut oil.

 

I have since gone downstairs to  keep eating more of chicken and chicken liver from lunch mixed with this coconut flour and milk thistle ground...I added some mct oil to it.  I have also had the powder mixture by itself. 

 

For meal 3 I plan to have Ground Beef, Brussel sprouts and salad.  With some coconut oil.

 

I am afraid to eat more but my cravings for more food are pretty bad.

 

I am doing an AIP version for the most part, except these milk thistle seeds.  I seemed to be addicted to eating something powdery mixed into my foods.  I also add beef gelatin powder into my food  every day almost every meal.

 

should I start over?

 

I am confused as well of portion size for each meal as far as how often to have nuts and seeds.  According to the portion sheet it seems you can have it at every meal.

 

Also when I eat sweet potatoes I can't stop eating them.  They, and all starchy carbs trigger sugar cravings for me. 

 

I limit my fruit (usually frozen strawberries) to one to two pieces a day which I usually have after dinner.

 

Thanks for any feedback.

 

Heaven

[Heaven02]

Serving size for the strawberries is a bowl or 2.

[SugarcubeOD]

Okay... well first, your 'cravings for more food' are probably not cravings but your body begging for nourishment.

 

Your breakfast has no fat or vegetables.  Your lunch has almost no vegetables (when salad greens are chewed down, the become almost nothing... )

You don't specify how much fat you're using... aside from cooking fat, which shouldn't be counted, you should be adding 2 thumbs of fat or half an avocado or two open handfuls of olives etc...

 

Have you seen the meal template?  It's linked in my signature below.  Three meals a day to the template that last you 4-5 hours.  I firmly believe that you have not been eating enough over a few days and that because nutrition is cumulative, you will need to eat to the higher end of the template to get a base back under you.  

 

Now, as far as the coconut flour... please stop eating that.  I'm not sure what you mean by 'i have it all day long'... We don't encourage snacking and if you're following the template, in a mere couple to three days, you should have a handle on how much to eat at each meal to not need to snack.  Furthermore, you mentioned in another thread that you were eating it as a dessert, which goes against the principles of how the whole30 asks you to fashion your meals.

 

Nuts and seeds should be limited, especially if you are not eating mostly other more balanced fats.  Nuts and seeds are something that you would normally find as a condiment on a salad (sure... a sprinkle of sunflower seeds on a salad at two meals a day would be fine), not something that you should be eating bowlfuls of.

 

I don't think you need to start over but I do think that from this point, you need to make template meals and put the things aside that you yourself say you seem 'addicted' to.

Please eat more food.  Whole vegetables, proteins and fat sources that are based in food you would eat (olives, avocado, fatty fishes, mayo) instead of cod liver oil and coconut flour.  I think you'll feel so much better!

 

Edit:  Additionally, cod liver oil is a supplement and not a fat source.

[SugarcubeOD]

One more thing to address your concern about putting on weight.

 

The easiest and fastest way to put on weight is to restrict your food and calories and convince your body that you're not going to give it the appropriate amount of nutrition.  If you have been eating this minimal amount for a while before coming here, then your body is holding on to every teeny thing you give it because it doesn't know when more nutrition is coming.

 

You may feel you are eating a lot but filling up on a bowl of coconut flour and seeds or bowls of strawberries isn't nutritionally sound.  It's bulk but it's not nutrients.

[Heaven02]

Thank you Sugarcube.

 

I just pulled up the meal template.  For fats it says "Add fat in the following recommended amounts per meal".

Then it lists all the types of fats and portions for each.

 

Does this mean only one of those choices per meal?   Not all of those per meal obviously.  

 

Thanks for your feedback.  I will try eating more at each meal.  I am generally not that hungry at breakfast but i will still give it a shot.

 

I can do this without the starchy vegetables right?

[Heaven02]

I have been trying to eat minimally.  I usually really have a big meal at dinner.  And then I have been totally losing it prior to starting whole30 and just binging at night on my husband's cheese, nut butters, protein powders made into a pudding mixed with nuts etc.  

 

so I think it is catching up with me and my body just wants more.

[SugarcubeOD]

Yes, for fats it's a half to a whole avocado OR heaping handfuls of olives OR 2 thumbs of mayo OR etc... 

 

BUT!  You can definitely have more than one... don't fear the fat!  My favorite thing is chicken salad (made with home made mayo) and then served on potato slices (roasted) with avocado.

 

And technically you CAN do it without starchy vegetables but why do you want to?  It's recommended to have at least one fist sized serving a day.  Starchy carbs help regulate mood, energy, some people report that later in the day they help with sleep, they're great for a post work out meal etc...

 

Fats and starchy carbs are not to be feared or avoided!

[ladyshanny]

I have been trying to eat minimally. 

Why are you doing this? Honor your body and eat food when you are hungry. Real food like chicken and salmon and venison and beef.  Veggies like brocoli and squashes and snow peas and green beans and any other vegetable you can get your hands on.  Eat real fats from avocados and olives and animals.  Eat food, you don't deserve to be atrociously hungry all day until you get to the evening time and then you can't control yourself on what you're eating.

[SugarcubeOD]

I have been trying to eat minimally. 

 

so I think it is catching up with me and my body just wants more.

Yes, this is 100% true.  Please don't eat minimally.  Eat generous portions of whole foods three times a day! It may sound counter-intuitive to you but restricting your intake is only going to do the opposite of what you want.  You will hold on to weight and mess up your hormones something fierce.  

[Tom Denham]

What you are eating sounds kind of awful. I want you to eat meals that you honestly enjoy. Good meals include protein, fat, and veggies. And all of it should taste good. When you get in the habit of eating properly sized meals 3-4 times per day, your body will adjust, your metabolism will improve and your body will move towards its natual, healthy weight. Hang in there.

[Heaven02]

 

And technically you CAN do it without starchy vegetables but why do you want to?  It's recommended to have at least one fist sized serving a day.  Starchy carbs help regulate mood, energy, some people report that later in the day they help with sleep, they're great for a post work out meal etc...

 

Fats and starchy carbs are not to be feared or avoided!

Starchy vegetables trigger sugar cravings with me.  Have you heard of this before? 

[Heaven02]

What you are eating sounds kind of awful. I want you to eat meals that you honestly enjoy. Good meals include protein, fat, and veggies. And all of it should taste good. When you get in the habit of eating properly sized meals 3-4 times per day, your body will adjust, your metabolism will improve and your body will move towards its natual, healthy weight. Hang in there.

Ha Ha Thanks Tom.  I appreciate your honesty with how awful my food sounds  thanks for your support.   

[SugarcubeOD]

Starchy vegetables trigger sugar cravings with me.  Have you heard of this before? 

Its not out of the realm of reason for sure as they are more dense carb and given your minimal eating before, your body might be triggered to suggest to you that you give it easier energy (sugar)

 

How about this, go ahead and not eat them (assuming of course you're going to be eating to the template as discussed already).  If you start to feel your energy is low or your mood tanks, then I would say start adding them back in.  I think once your body is satisfied that you are feeding it proper amounts of real, whole foods, you can eat a fist sized serving of yam without craving being face first in a box of sugar glazed donuts!

[Heaven02]

sounds good. Thanks Sugarcube. 

[praxisproject]

I used to do low carb and I've found the Whole30 has really changed my carb tolerance, having vegetables instead of grains and dairy has made a really huge change for me. Really avoid those protein powders, they completely ruin my metabolism.

 

A lot of processed low carb foods are actually quite low in nutrition, so you may be surprised how good you feel in the future.

 

I also had some tests done and found I was chronically deficient in a number of nutrients. If this is you too, it might be one of the reasons you feel like "eating everything" because your body is in a critical state and it's desperate for nutrients.

 

Also, I'm a bit confused by the AIP. Do you have allergies you need to do the AIP for?

[Heaven02]

I used to do low carb and I've found the Whole30 has really changed my carb tolerance, having vegetables instead of grains and dairy has made a really huge change for me. Really avoid those protein powders, they completely ruin my metabolism.

 

A lot of processed low carb foods are actually quite low in nutrition, so you may be surprised how good you feel in the future.

 

I also had some tests done and found I was chronically deficient in a number of nutrients. If this is you too, it might be one of the reasons you feel like "eating everything" because your body is in a critical state and it's desperate for nutrients.

 

Also, I'm a bit confused by the AIP. Do you have allergies you need to do the AIP for?

 

I have Lymes disease.  I find I react to nightshades with joint pain.  Dairy causes me sinus issues and headaches.  Not sure about eggs but I tested positive for an allergy to the whites.  I am currently seeing a Lyme Literate Doctor and am on a very powerful herbal formula that in and of itself is causing symptoms..I guess die-off.  I am exhausted.  And the Lyme is craving sugar as it dies....that's what it feels like and I read that to be the case. 

 

On another note.  I have tried eating more..yesterday i did fine.  Today I made the whole30 recipe for mayonaise..which i did use the egg in.  I binged on it with my lunch.  I had salmon cakes leftover (also a whole30 recipe.)  Brussell sprouts and salad.  I ate the whole jar.  That is 1.4 cups of olive oil.  Today is day 5.   i think I am having cravings...because I wasn't hungry that whole time.

 

Ugh...I want to lose weight not get fatter.

 

I don't think I will be making that anytime soon.      

[Saree_maree]

Hi Heaven,

 

The kind of eating you are describing, especially this pattern of mixing up kind of random things into a mush, sounds pretty disordered to me. I say that with no judgment whatsoever, as an eating disorder sufferer for more than half my life. I definitely have gone through times where I did similarly strange things with food, and having been in eating disorder treatment facilities many times, I have heard from other women all kind of bizarre food rituals that would probably freak most people out. You mention that you have struggled with overeating and undereating for the last 20 years. I wonder if you have ever spoken to your physician or to a counselor. There may be more going on here then simply a damaged metabolism or chronic undernutrition (although those factors certainly can perpetuate the cycle).

[praxisproject]

I have Lymes disease.  I find I react to nightshades with joint pain.  Dairy causes me sinus issues and headaches.  Not sure about eggs but I tested positive for an allergy to the whites.  I am currently seeing a Lyme Literate Doctor and am on a very powerful herbal formula that in and of itself is causing symptoms..I guess die-off.  I am exhausted.  And the Lyme is craving sugar as it dies....that's what it feels like and I read that to be the case. 

 

On another note.  I have tried eating more..yesterday i did fine.  Today I made the whole30 recipe for mayonaise..which i did use the egg in.  I binged on it with my lunch.  I had salmon cakes leftover (also a whole30 recipe.)  Brussell sprouts and salad.  I ate the whole jar.  That is 1.4 cups of olive oil.  Today is day 5.   i think I am having cravings...because I wasn't hungry that whole time.

 

I have a similar trouble with nightshades, but only with a high load (I used to eat meals with 5 or more nightshades in them). One sneaky one to be aware of is the goji berry, which is not a berry and is a nightshade.

 

When you've got a disease you might want to be focusing on health rather than weight loss, it's hard for the body to feel safe when it's under attack and weight loss rarely comes to a stressed body (your hormones are often quite different). You may want to ask your Lyme doctor to test you for any deficiencies, I don't know much about Lyme but most infection/invasion type scenarios for the body can use up a lot of your nutrient stores quickly (my body goes through crazy amounts of magnesium - celiac,  MTHFR and sinus problems). You may need larger doses of things like Vitamin C and Vitamin D, in particular the ones the body doesn't store (like Vitamin C). I had shingles following some surgery and I was taking crazy amounts of Vitamin C and it wasn't getting peed out, my body was using every bit.

 

It might be a lot of olive oil, but if you're not eating enough, being hungry all the time will push you more towards binging.

I wouldn't avoid making the mayo, but it you're worried about it right now, just make it once a week. I use at least a jar per week. Olive oil is a healthy oil and we don't live in low fat city Fats help your body do all kinds of things, like battle infections and diseases. Eating enough food helps arm your body's defenses.

 

There's another recipe with 1 cup of oil http://thehealthyfoodie.com/fail-proof-home-made-paleo-mayo-whole30-compliant/ I'm pretty sure you also make mayo with just the yolks, if you need to avoid the whites. I also find my body prefers the free range/organic eggs over cage eggs, I'm not sure if it's what they feed them or just the health of the chickens.

 

Hang in there and look after yourself You can do this

[Heaven02]

 

When you've got a disease you might want to be focusing on health rather than weight loss, it's hard for the body to feel safe when it's under attack and weight loss rarely comes to a stressed body (your hormones are often quite different). You may want to ask your Lyme doctor to test you for any deficiencies, I don't know much about Lyme but most infection/invasion type scenarios for the body can use up a lot of your nutrient stores quickly (my body goes through crazy amounts of magnesium - celiac,  MTHFR and sinus problems). You may need larger doses of things like Vitamin C and Vitamin D, in particular the ones the body doesn't store (like Vitamin C). I had shingles following some surgery and I was taking crazy amounts of Vitamin C and it wasn't getting peed out, my body was using every bit.

 

It might be a lot of olive oil, but if you're not eating enough, being hungry all the time will push you more towards binging.

I wouldn't avoid making the mayo, but it you're worried about it right now, just make it once a week. I use at least a jar per week. Olive oil is a healthy oil and we don't live in low fat city Fats help your body do all kinds of things, like battle infections and diseases. Eating enough food helps arm your body's defenses.

 

There's another recipe with 1 cup of oil http://thehealthyfoodie.com/fail-proof-home-made-paleo-mayo-whole30-compliant/ I'm pretty sure you also make mayo with just the yolks, if you need to avoid the whites. I also find my body prefers the free range/organic eggs over cage eggs, I'm not sure if it's what they feed them or just the health of the chickens.

 

Hang in there and look after yourself You can do this

 

Thank you so much.  Your response and others is so helpful.  Just gives me permission to be ok where I am, and learn to eat more....which i know I have disordered eating around.  I am trying to make peace with food.  And not to focus on my weight.   I know this is a better way to care for myself. 

 

 And my body is fighting hard right now to heal from the Lyme.  I know I am deficient in many nutrients.  I saw a Functional Medicine Doctor before the Lyme Doctor and I am still taking alot of the supplements  he recommended.  Definitely vitamin C, D and Magnesium..though I don't always remember to take it. 

 

Yesterday I felt a little more peaceful around the food.  And had healthy portions at each meal.  And I was even able to not have a fake "dessert"  after dinner!  That was the first time I did that since starting Whole 30.(today is day 7)  I just made a cup of Chicory and cinnamon "coffee"  blended with a teaspoon of coconut oil after dinner and that was satisfying.

 

I will shoot for the same today.

[SugarcubeOD]

What a wonderful victory for you! I may not know you in real life but I am very proud of you! You are dealing with a lot and small victories deserve to be celebrated! I'll cheers to you when I have my after dinner tea tonight and you're having your 'coffee'.

The only way around it is through it.... I think about that a lot as an emotional eater... you may not be an emotional eater but anyone with disordered eating is going to feel uncomfortable at some point and the only way around being uncomfortable is going through it... and it gets easier and easier!

Yay you!

[praxisproject]

Well done! Celebrate your NSVs!

 

Try and keep up with the supplements, you might find they give you more strength to deal with other things.