Also not losing weight. Please critique!

[crew29]

Hello,

 

I recently finished my first Whole 30.  Prior to that, I always ate pretty healthy (at least better than the Standard American Diet) and exercised 5 days/week.  Despite this, I did have a major sweet tooth, and was/am overweight.  I am female, 30 years old.

 

On the Whole 30, I lost ~2 lbs.  I was disappointed, but worked hard to see all the Non Scale Victories I possibly could have!  I have decided to continue the Whole 30, but really need some support in figuring out what I need to do better to maximize weight loss.  I need to realistically lose about 40 lbs to be in a healthier range and feel better!  Here is an example of a typical day of my diet/exercise habits.  I'd appreciate any feedback.

 

Breakfast:

-2 shots of espresso with about 1/2 cup of coconut milk (canned) as soon as I wake up

Breakfast (about 1 hour after morning workout- I know this is not ideal, but I'm just not hungry in the morning!)- 3 poached eggs, handful of blueberries or other fruit

 

Lunch:

-1 cup of arugula, small handful of walnuts, sunflower seeds, 2 Tbs. olive oil & balsamic vinegar dressing

-About 1.5 cups of Chicken Chowder (consists of broccoli, garlic, coconut milk, chicken broth, chicken thighs, sweet potatoes)

 

Afternoon Snack:

-1 cup raw veggies (cherry tomatoes, green peppers, cucumbers)

-decaf coffee with about 1/2 cup of coconut milk (canned)

 

Dinner:

-burger over arugula, with homemade compliant ketchup, compliant dijon mustard, 2 eggs fried in ghee

 

After Dinner Snack:

-1 cup baby carrots

-Herbal, compliant tea

 

Water intake:

-I drink SO much!  I almost always get to my full body weight in ounces.  About half of it is seltzer though.

 

Sleep: about 7 hours/night

 

Exercise:

-40 minutes right away in morning- usually treadmill walking on incline, rowing machine, or going to a yoga or ballet barre class

-25 minute walk at lunch time

 

 

Help!  Please let me know what I could be doing better.  So appreciate any advice out there.

[ShannonM816]

Okay, first, lose the coffee before breakfast, and eat something within an hour of waking up. Coffee is an appetite suppressant and may be contributing to you not being able to eat first thing. So have something to eat before you workout -- an egg, some leftover meat, some olives -- ideally, protein & fat.

 

When you eat your full breakfast, have vegetables with it. Fruit is not a substitute for vegetables, it's an extra thing you can have in addition to vegetables, protein, and fat. At least one full cup of veggies at every meal, and for best results go for 2-3 cups.

 

You lunch might be a little light, it's hard to tell how much protein and vegetables you're getting from the chowder, but it can be harder to make sure you get at least one palm-sized portion (and up to two if you need it) of protein in a soup. Salad is not terribly filling, so be sure you're getting lots of it, or that you're having plenty of other vegetables with it. 

 

Ideally, your meals will keep you full for 4-5 hours at a time, meaning you're less likely to need a snack, but if you are truly hungry between meals (as in, you'd happily eat something bland like steamed fish and broccoli), have a mini-meal of protein, fat, and vegetables. 

 

With dinner, again, you'd need a ton of arugula for it to be very filling. Branch out to other, denser vegetables that will help feel full and stay full longer -- broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, yellow squash, peppers, onions, cooked greens, winter squashes, jicama, bok choy, carrots, brussel sprouts, green beans, snow or snap peas, beets, turnips, rutabagas, parsnips, eggplant, etc. -- just go look around your produce department and pick some things that look interesting.

 

Don't be afraid to add fat to your meals either -- olives, avocado, homemade mayo or other sauces and dressings. Even if you've cooked something in fat, it's okay to add more -- often, cooking fat stays in the pan and isn't consumed. 

[crew29]

Thank you for your advice!  I guess I need to do more veggies throughout the day.  I've been working on scaling back my fruit intake a bit, so this makes sense.

 

One thing worth mentioning- after lunch I am SUPER full.  I feel bloated and sick!  I am not sure why.  It makes me cringe a bit to think of eating even more.  Considering I'm past my first whole 30, what could be the reason why I feel so bloated after lunch?  (I also have generally been feeling so bloated throughout the day, especially afternoon and evening- I thought it'd go away during my first round, but it never really did)

[ShannonM816]

Raw vegetables and nuts and seeds can cause bloating for some people, as can carbonated beverages. For now, try cooking all your vegetables, cut back on the seltzer in favor of non-carbonated water, and lose the nuts and seeds for a few days, and see if that helps. If it does, you'll just have to play with things to see how much of those things you tolerate at a time. 

[crew29]

Thanks Shannon.  You're awesome!