Day 16 So very tired

[sleepingbeautycan]

I find I am not needing to snack in between meals after adding nuts to my meals. But today is the day I usually cook for the week and I can't I just can't. It took everything out of me to go grocery shopping. I have been doing the meal plans by Mel and I can usually cook the 6 hours but today I just don't have any energy. I have been needing naps everyday for a week now but now even with the nap I am out of steam.

 

I am so very very tired. Maybe after another nap I will have the energy to write what I eat.

[Carlaccini]

Okay are you able to list you meals along with water consumption, activity and any medical background you might have?

 

This will help folks troubleshoot a bit more for you.

[sleepingbeautycan]

Woke up today feeling much the same. Here is a typical day:

 

Breakie:

3 egg omelet with a couple oz of chicken (made with ghee)

A lot of veggies

 

Lunch:

Large strir fry bowl

-4-6 oz of meat (shrimp, chicken, steak, ground beef)

-1 heaping tablespoon of sunshine sauce

-2-4 cups of veggies (carrots, cabbage, beets, celery, mushrooms, bok choi. I rotate depending on what is on sale.)

- handful of cashews or sunflower seeds

 

Dinner

-same as lunch

 

I have about 2-3 fruit a week. I have trouble with fruit sugars (always have) and get a rash so I can't have too much).

[Carlaccini]

Okay meals look generally pretty good but there are a couple of things that could use some tweaking.

 

You don't mention what veggies are in your meal 1 - sometimes the types of veggies do matter somewhat. For instance if you are eating salad for breakfast, that would satiate you differently then lets say a mix of potato, kale and spinach. (The greens would be wilted or cooked down.  And you should aim for at least a cups worth of cooked wilted greens)

 

Also note that most cooking fat gets left behind in the pan.  So feel free to add additional fat like olives or homemade mayo to your dish.

 

1 tbsp of sunshine sauce is not a lot - the recipe in itself is made to feed 2 people..

 

So just to recap:

 

Play around with fat portions in your meals.  Make sure your meals satiate you for 4 - 5 hours.

 

You may need to add a starchy vegetable in - not sure.  Include a fist sized starchy veg in your next meal, or your morning meal - play around with that.  See how that works.  I know my energy level lagged quite a bit in the beginning.  I had issues with it until Day 22 I believe.

[sleepingbeautycan]

Mostly my meals have root vegetables because that is what is cheap at this time of year in Canada. So beets, carrots, celery root, are common. But hubby likes broccoli and cauliflower so I try to get those when they are on sale. As well cabbage is a good one, cheap and plentyful. Most of my veggies are steamed and in the fridge ready to add to meals.

 

I added a handful of nuts to add to the fat. Do I need more? I did buy some guacamole but am unsure on how to add it to a meal. I am still tired today and I think if carrots and beets and such count as starchy vegs I have been having them all along at pretty much every meal. So any other suggestions?

[sleepingbeautycan]

Added to note, I very rarely have green leaf veggies as they are quite expensive here it the great white north. If I have them it is maybe once or twice a week with other veggies.

 

I just noticed that you are from montreal, carlaccini, so you know that the prices here for lettuce and kale are killer at this time of year.

[sleepingbeautycan]

I am still hopelessly exhausted. I feel way more tired than before I started the whole30. I am at the end of day 19 and feel like sleeping most of the day. Is there anything else that I should be doing? How long do I give it before I realize that this food program is not helping me.

[ShannonM816]

Hi, sleepingbeautycan. I'm sorry you're having a rough time. There's really no reason that eating protein, fat, and vegetables should be making you feel tired, as long as you're eating enough. I'm not really sure what to tell you.

 

Did you end up adding more fat to your meals? Guacamole is great for dipping vegetables or meat into -- I don't know what kind you bought, but if you find it a bit bland, you can add some chopped tomatoes, jalapenos, garlic powder, lime or lemon juice -- any or all of those can improve some of the store bought versions, which aren't always the most tasty. You might also look into making your own mayo, which is great on its own, or you can then turn it into dressings and sauces to drizzle over your vegetables or your meat.

 

Are you sleeping well? More stressed than usual? Working out more or less than you used to? Any of those could contribute to feeling tired. I do hope you figure this out.

[sleepingbeautycan]

Well, I've always known I was a special snowflake. If the doctors tell me I should react in a certain way, my body always does the opposite.

 

I do know that if my body is in distress, it's reaction is to have me sleep around the clock.

 

I am eating enough I believe. With the addition of nuts to every meal I am not having the need to snack.

 

I am definitely sleeping well. I am not stressed at all. I have not changed my workout routine (lol, that is to say I don't work out),

[QuilterInVA]

I would add sweet or white potato. I eat the same veggies you do but I do better with potato.

[sleepingbeautycan]

Thanks Quilter, I will try that. I have them occasionally but I thought they were not optimal for whole30?

[GFChris]

Thanks Quilter, I will try that. I have them occasionally but I thought they were not optimal for whole30?

 

Where did you get that impression?  We frequently recommend sweet potatoes, potatoes, and other carb-dense vegetables if people are feeling low energy.

Whole30 is not intended to be low-carb. 

[sleepingbeautycan]

I guess I got the impression here

https://m.facebook.com/whole30/posts/671357376274517

This is a quote and a description of me:

"If you're sedentary, overweight, and metabolically challenged, you probably don't need to eat potatoes at all during your Whole30"

[ShannonM816]

The thing is, if you're mostly eating root vegetables like beets and turnips and carrots, those are fairly carb-dense, so you may not need more starchy vegetables. You can certainly try having a sweet potato or potato and see if it helps, it's definitely something to play with to find what works best for you -- some people need more, some need less, and it can take some time to figure out what works best for you.

 

Is this something that you experience seasonally? When there's less daylight, even down here in Texas, I tend to want to sleep more, and I feel tired earlier in the evening. I'm pretty sure if I lived somewhere with even more wintry weather, I'd end up hibernating half the year  .  When there is sunshine outside, try to get out in it and get as much exposure as you can.  You might try some kind of activity -- not necessarily a full workout, but a walk, or some yoga/stretching, or just put on your favorite music and dance around the house. 

 

I'm really not sure what to tell you. I really do hope that you figure this out.

[sleepingbeautycan]

 

Is this something that you experience seasonally? When there's less daylight, even down here in Texas, I tend to want to sleep more, and I feel tired earlier in the evening.

 

It could very well be. I know that mid-february I usually get down and hibernate but it has been an easy winter so far and I would have thought that my hibernation was a bit away. But again, my body is perverse and that may be what is going on.

[sleepingbeautycan]

I've added potatoes every day to the last 3 days and still no lifting of the exhaustion. I have at least one nap a day.

 

If this is indeed winter-blues, how would I know (short of driving to Florida?) Also, when I get to the end how can I evaluate which foods are okay to add back in if I haven't had any improvement in any symptoms.

 

I can't tell if I've lost weight, my joints are still ache-y, my brain is more fuzzy and I've had the most wicked break out of zits and on top of that I'm exhausted. Maybe I'm one of those people who are not meant for this type of diet?

[sleepingbeautycan]

Well Day 24 and still exhausted. Zits are clearing up and my joints don't hurt as much going up and down the stairs. Is there hope that I might break the exhaustion?

[ShannonM816]

So, if this is seasonal, one of the things that might be missing from your life is Vitamin D, since we often get that from sunshine. Some people find it helpful to supplement that. You may want to talk to your doctor -- I don't know what kind of dosage you'd need, or if there's any chance you could get too much.

 

Another thing that might help if this is seasonal is to get a lamp that helps mimic sunlight -- google seasonal affective disorder lamp to read about those.

 

It's a good sign that your joints don't hurt as much, that is probably a sign that something you've eliminated was causing some kind of inflammation.

 

At this point, I'm not really sure what to tell you about the exhaustion. Typically, we encourage people to eat more starchy vegetables and more fat, but you've tried that and it hasn't helped. There are people who do best without as many starchy vegetables, but the only way to know if you're one of them would be to try, and there's a chance that if you're not one of those people, you might actually end up feeling worse.

 

You did ask if maybe you're just not meant for this type of diet. I'd counter that with, well, what would you eat that isn't part of this diet, or not eat that is part of this diet, and would it really make you feel better, long term? If you truly believe that you have something that would work better for you, then you have to do whatever is best for you -- but be sure you're being honest with yourself about your choices.

[sleepingbeautycan]

As for the whole vitamin d thing. I take 10,000 IU (I'm not sure the units) daily in an effort to maintain vitamin d levels. I have never tested in the healthy range but 10,000 keeps me from having symptoms. But I have specific symptoms that happen when I am low in vitamin D. I am not seeing those symptoms. 

 

I have a reptile lamp that is good for vitamin d if the pills don't work. But again I am not seeing my vitamin d "symptoms". I do get blue in the winter but I am not seeing the other symptoms that I usually get when it is due to vitamin d (bone pain in hands and arms, weird sleep cycles, I wake up with my hands clenched and sometimes draw blood from where my nails dig into my palms)

 

So I after thinking about this for a while I think it is the diet that has caused this lethargy and not the winter. Now I added back in potatoes and am still exhausted. For the first 17 days I had no potatoes and was feeling the same way. I am going to stay on the diet for a week or so beyond the 30 days because I just noticed the better ankle and knee pain and the reduction of cysts that I've had for a while. So hopefully it will turn around. 

 

Thanks for your help. I know my body does not react normally to what it should do. What works for most does not always work for me (and sometimes makes me worse), when my body does the opposite of what other peoples bodies do my doc and I are no longer surprised.

 

Cheers,

Connie

[Carlaccini]

Hi Connie,

 

Sorry you are still having issues....

 

Speaking from personal experience here - I find if I have too many starchies - example one with every meal with no green stuff - I get tired and lethargic.  If I eat too little my brain gets angry and sad.  So it's all about finding the right balance for you.  

 

Yes I know greens are pricey but they might be helpful along with a big dose of fat.  You might be having some issues with switching over.  I know on my first whole 30 I struggled with sleep and exhaustion too.  I did see glimmers of energy - but nothing concrete until day 23 or 24.  

 

I actually haven't found Kale too pricey as it is indeed a winter vegetable. (Kale was a staple for me growing up, and we grew it even in our garden.  It's best harvested after the first frost)  Same with collards.  Broccoli and Cauliflower on  the other hand.... completely different story.  I also load up on frozen green veg when its on sale.  So there are ways to work with it.

 

Where about's in the great white north do you live?  I'm originally from Ontario - so I might be able to help out a little if you are from the GTA area as well.

[sleepingbeautycan]

I'm in Ottawa. It's been a pretty easy winter so far. My hubby loves romaine salads and I can add more but how much? Once a day okay? The most common vegetable I eat is cabbage. Is that a green? The second most common is carrots and then celery root. I try and have a potato serving a day but I am the only one in the house that likes sweet potato (so I hardly ever eat that).

 

About fat, I have been getting cramps from the nuts. So I can't eat a handful with every meal -- that's too much for me. So now I am back to trying to add a fat back in. I will try and head out tonight and get some good fat sources. I have guacamole but it just isn't appealing to me -- I think it is the consistency. I will try some on the side of my next meal and see how it goes but I am thinking I need different options.

[ShannonM816]

For fats, have you made your own mayo yet? It's good on pretty much everything -- dip vegetables or meat into it, use it to make other dressings/sauces/dips, chicken or tuna or salmon salad, or deviled eggs. Something like pesto or chimichurri or even just plain olive oil can be drizzled over meats and vegetables. Olives are a good source of fat. Unsweetened, sulfur-free coconut flakes -- they can be toasted and then added on top of salads and other vegetables for a little bit of crunch and flavor. Ghee or coconut oil on a baked potato or sweet potato. Choosing fattier cuts of meat can help you need to add less extra fat in a meal (salmon over tilapia, for instance, or skin-on chicken thighs, rather than skinless breasts).

[Carlaccini]

You might want to consider adding more vitamin D rich foods in as well - fatty cold water fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines

Liver - If you are adverse to the taste of liver maybe make pate and then mix the pate in with meatballs.  Eggs are also a good source of vitamin D. 

 

I have heard that mushrooms and dark leafy greens will be helpful in this regards as well.

 

Definitely drop the nuts.  They probably are helping your condition - many people have issues with nuts.  Including me where I have issues with them disrupting my sleep.

 

I would not have salad more than once a day - and make sure the salad is HUGE.  You have to think about all that lettuce in wilted form.  So mixing bowl size.

Also some of us have a hard time digesting raw veggies.  So try to get most of your veggies cooked.

 

Have you ever tried roasting veggies?  Any veggie roasted in oil or fat, plus salt and pepper are amazing.

[sleepingbeautycan]

I make my own mayo but I just can't get into the habit of dipping food into it. I did make some cole slaw with my last batch of mayo, and it was good. I think I will make up another batch. I guess for dinner I am going to have burgs on lettuce with mayo and maybe some sunbutter.  I think. The guacamole just isn't working for me. I tried a ranch dressing, bleh. I think if I have energy after the slaw and the burgs I will try another recipe.

 

So here we are day 26 and I am getting used to going up the stairs without using the banister and without having to hit every stair with both feet. However, I am still needing naps. And still low on the energy scale. I wouldn't say I am still exhausted though. Tired is a better word. Maybe it will keep improving.

[Carlaccini]

Yes - sometimes it takes some of us longer to go through things than others.  Remember we are all unique snowflakes  - the timeline is just based on what happens on average.

 

My first whole 30 - I was about 10 days off.