Day 25: no magic yet (!) and ongoing stomach issues

[Rebecca1121MB]

Hi, fellow W30-ers!

 

I'm hoping you can help feel more motivated through the end of my first Whole30.  I've been very strict - no cheats! - and I'm following the recipes in the book for inspiration.  I'm happy with the cooking and the flavors, and I love bringing my own food to work for breakfast and lunch.  BUT (and it's a big one), I'm worried about a couple of things.

 

First of all, I haven't experienced any magic yet!  I'm not sleeping particularly well, and while last week I was feeling good about not having an energy dip in the afternoon, I'm back to feeling pretty sleepy after lunch.  My skin, which only experiences an occasional breakout, is still struggling, and I haven't seen a meaningful change in body composition.  (I don't own a scale, so I haven't weighed myself.)  When does the magic begin?

 

Second, and this is the embarrassing one, my stomach is still doing the grumble. This isn't the "I'm hungry - feed me now" grumble, either - this is more like "I'm going to spit out all the food you gave me" grumble.  I'm very gassy, a little bloated, and my bowels move much faster (and softer) than I think they should by now.  I'm concerned about it!

 

Last, I'm still not recovering well after my workouts.  I've been very good about eating some healthy protein closer to my workout starts so that I have sustained energy, but I'm still feeling pretty fatigued sooner than I used to. My runs are still pretty slow, and my muscles are tiring quickly.  Please tell me it gets better!

 

Here's a sample of my diet this week:

• Meal 1: Homemade egg bake (like a frittata but done in a square casserole dish) with broccoli, onions, and white potato. 1/2 cup mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)
• Meal 2: Salad with mixed greens, cucumber, carrots, celery, hard-boiled egg, chicken breast (homemade with just salt and pepper), and homemade white balsamic dressing.
• Meal 3: Ground turkey stir-fry with leeks, cauliflower, and spinach.

I used to eat 1/2 an avocado with breakfast, but it was upsetting my stomach so I stopped. I was also concerned about overdoing the almond butter (with an apple or a banana), so I cut back on that too.  I primarily use olive oil for cooking, but I'm guessing it's not enough fat in my diet overall.

 

I'd love to get some thoughts on what's going on!  I'm considering extending my W30 into 45 or 60 days, but I'm also considering FODMAPs.  Any comments would be greatly appreciated!

 

[jmcbn]

Yeah, if avocado was bothering you at breakfast, and you're still having bowel issues & the grumbly tummy then FODMAPs may well be the culprit. I'd cut them out for a few days & see if symptoms improve - it's usually fairly quick to happen.

From the above foods the high FODMAPs are: broccoli, onions, celery, leeks & cauliflower - and possibly the greens depending on what the mix was.

Apples, bananas, nut & nut butters are also no go.

You might want to take a look at >this infographic< and eat from the green list only for  few days (about half way down the page).

If symptoms improve you'll know what you're dealing with and can then work at trialling the foods individually to see what (& how much) you can handle without issue.

[Rebecca1121MB]

Thanks!  I found that infographic in another post, and printed a copy for myself.

 

My additional challenges are that I'm already allergic to gluten, dairy, and some of the vegetables on the list (like kale and zucchini). I'll try to work around them as I finish my first Whole30!

[Karen_Suep]

You may need to move lean protein to the end of your workouts for muscle recovery

[Rebecca1121MB]

Thanks, Karen!  What do you recommend for pre- and post-workout fuel?

[Carlaccini]

Pre is fats and protein - so boiled egg, and olives will work well.

 

Post is lean protein and starchy veg - so cooked chicken breast and some cooked cubed sweet potato.  Or a can of tuna in water and some carrot sticks.

 

Keep in mind that these meals serve more as function and less as "appeal".

[Rebecca1121MB]

And you recommend these in addition to the regular meals?

 

With FODMAPs, I'm going to have to eliminate nuts and nut butters for a while, which was my standard go-to for healthy fat.  I'm not a fan of olives, so I'll have to find something else for the pre-workout fuel.

[kruddock]

For preWO snack I usually have a boiled egg or lean protein like chicken or steak with mayo.

[Rebecca1121MB]

How far in advance are you eating your pre-workout snack? I've been doing it about an hour before I start.

[Carlaccini]

Yes these meals are in addition to.

 

I believe recommended time frame is within a half hour prior to working out and within 15 min of post work out.

[Karen_Suep]

And you recommend these in addition to the regular meals?

With FODMAPs, I'm going to have to eliminate nuts and nut butters for a while, which was my standard go-to for healthy fat. I'm not a fan of olives, so I'll have to find something else for the pre-workout fuel.

I am not always an olive fan and nuts should be a "sometimes" food anyway. Fats like coconut (not a fan of it personally), rendered animal fats, mayo, avocado, pesto, etc are great to ad to meals.

[Rebecca1121MB]

Does shredded or flaked coconut have the same good fat content that coconut oil does?

 

Are there any recommendations for over-the-counter medications i can take for the rumbling tummy?  Before W30, I would take pepto or gas-x.

[Karen_Suep]

An open handful of coconut shreds/flakes is a serving of fat on W30

[jmcbn]

And you recommend these in addition to the regular meals?

 

With FODMAPs, I'm going to have to eliminate nuts and nut butters for a while, which was my standard go-to for healthy fat.  I'm not a fan of olives, so I'll have to find something else for the pre-workout fuel.

Ah, then this could be the brunt of your problem....

Ditch the nuts & nut butters first as they are notorious for causing bloat & digestive distress, and if this gives no relief then ditch the FODMAPs.

You could try a digestive enzyme in the meantime, or something fermented like kombucha to aid digestion.

[kruddock]

I eat my pre & postWO within the timeframes that Carlacinni recommends.

[Rebecca1121MB]

Is this a good digestive enzyme to try?  http://www.nowfoods.com/Digest-Ultimate-120-Veg-Capsules.htm

 

I found this on the Whole9 website.

[Rounder77]

Yeah, if avocado was bothering you at breakfast, and you're still having bowel issues & the grumbly tummy then FODMAPs may well be the culprit. I'd cut them out for a few days & see if symptoms improve - it's usually fairly quick to happen.

From the above foods the high FODMAPs are: broccoli, onions, celery, leeks & cauliflower - and possibly the greens depending on what the mix was.

Apples, bananas, nut & nut butters are also no go.

You might want to take a look at >this infographic< and eat from the green list only for  few days (about half way down the page).

If symptoms improve you'll know what you're dealing with and can then work at trialling the foods individually to see what (& how much) you can handle without issue.

I related to this post. If it is these FODMAPS....there's very few options to eat. Terribly frustrating. 

[jmcbn]

I related to this post. If it is these FODMAPS....there's very few options to eat. Terribly frustrating. 

I've been eating low FODMAPs for close to a year, with the exception of a number of weeks doing FODMAP trials (one food per week - a selection of frutans & polyols only) - plus there's been a period of egg exclusion in there.

There is plenty to eat if you think outside of the box. For every high FODMAP food there's a low FODMAP alternative, and once the gut has healed it's highly likely you'll be able to add a number of high FODMAPs back in - provided you are conscious of portion sizes, and don't overload/combine a number of FODMAPs all in one day.