Feeling amazing days 1-7 of Whole30

[KyleeH]

I have read the book multiple times, combed through the website, logged on LoseIt all my food, and am simply without answers as to why I am not enduring the day 2-3 hangover, day 4-5 kill all the things, day 6-7 i just want to nap. I'm positive that I'm eating under my correct calorie budget, barely touching fruit and am strictly on plan. I would normally just be thrilled to have such a good experience (and boundless energy), but I'm wondering if there is something wrong with me that would explain why I have none of the "timeline" symptoms. Prior to starting Whole 30, I ate fast food 2 times a day. I had a half of a bag of laffy taffy, beer and a pizza before "day 1." So, I'm definitely NOT someone who just had very little adjustment to this program. Ideas?

[jmcbn]

Hey Kylee and welcome to Whole30   

I'd just be grateful that you've not suffered from the hangover, or the other various stages on the timeline - some people just don't, but it doesn't mean you're doing it wrong.

What you are doing wrong though is tracking calories - we really want you to ditch that habit, and really listen to your body and provide it with the fuel it needs.

If you'd like for us to check that you're on the right track please provide us with a detailed log of what you have eaten over the past 3-4 days, giving specifics about portion sizes, veg types, water intake, activity levels etc. It's difficult to provide any kind of feedback without this information.

[KyleeH]

What you are doing wrong though is tracking calories - we really want you to ditch that habit, and really listen to your body and provide it with the fuel it needs.

 

Thanks so much for your reply and generosity in reviewing my meals for the past 3-4 days. Let me begin with a request to be mindful of the language "wrong" as The Whole30 book states that avoiding tracking calories is a recommendation, not a rule. An example of the author re-emphasizing that this is not "wrong," but rather a recommendation I am not following can be seen in her blog post, too. I am a rule follower. And, I do understand the benefits of not journaling. 

 

I should also say that I'm single, so it is quite easy to tell you about the last 3 days as it generally takes me about that period of time to work through a purchase at the grocery store. 

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs (cooked in a pan with 1/2 a teaspoon of ghee), 2 cups (approx) of wilted spinach, seasoning (garlic, salt, pepper, onion), and an avocado

 

Meal 2/3: 5-6 oz of protein (I alternate around roast beef and grilled boneless/skinless chicken with 1 tbsp of compliant avocado-based Primal Mayo) with vegetable (either: 2 cups of roasted brussels sprouts with 1 tbsp EVO, 1 cup of roasted new potatoes with 1 tbsp EVO, a serving of carrots and 1 serving of olives, 2 cups of cut cucumber/radish salad with dressing of 1 tbsp of olive oil + 1 whole lemon + salt/pepper).

 

Occassionally I have a banana as an add on, depending on hunger, with my meal. I am not snacking.

[jmcbn]

You're right. 'Wrong' wasn't the right word to use, although in my defence I picked it up from your post where you used it yourself - and often in thses cases the question posed is 'am I doing it wrong?' so I apologise.

And whilst calorie tracking may not be a deal breaker it's something we hugely discourage because it's the antithesis of what we are trying to teach you here - that is, to listen to your body, and honour it by providing the wholesome nourishing food that it requires. Many people who come from a background of calorie counting also come from a background of calorie restriction, and under-eating is counter intuitive - your metabolism slooooooows way down, cleverly storing what fuel you do provide for when times get really tough - and apart from the fact that not all calories are created equal (compare say 200kcal of chicken to say 200kcal of sticky toffee pudding) the equation used to calculate your calorific requirements for one day is based only on age, sex & a choice of 5 vague activity levels, and does not take into consideration your mood, your sleep habits, your stress levels, whether or not your are [peri] menopausal, hormonal, where you are in your cycle, your medical background, or the types of foods you eat...

With all that said your breakfast looks light to me. When eggs are the only source of protein in a meal you should be eating the number of whole eggs you can hold in one hand, which is 3-4 for most females. 2 cups of spinach doesn't really amount to very much - you could probably do with adding in some other veg to add a bit of bulk, fat wise you're good.

Regarding lunch & dinner how does 5-6oz of chicken/beef relate to the size of your palm? Are you eating at least a palm sized piece of meat here? As in the length, width & depth of your palm? If so you're good. With the veggies x2 cups of sprouts & mayo is probably good, with the potatoes I'd add in some type of non starchy veg, likewise with the carrots and I'd probably go heavier on the mayo... I'd also up the size of the cucumber/radish salad as cucumber is mostly water, and again I'd increase the volume of oil in the dressing.

In short, the composition of your meals doesn't look too bad, but I do think you need to eat more - and you can count yourself lucky that no, there is nothing wrong with you, you're just lucky to be by-passing the hangover...

Hope this helps.