Don't want to gain weight [fat]

[asekal54]

Let me preface this post by saying that I’m not doing Whole30 to lose weight. I’m doing it to see if it helps relieve chronic pain. That said, I’m concerned about weight gain.

Early this year, I started eating “clean”. I cut out all processed food [compared to a “normal” person, I really wasn’t eating much processed food anyway]. I ended up losing 10ish pounds within the last six months just by cutting out the processed stuff. I exercise too, but I was doing that before I cut out processed food, so I attribute the weight loss more to the change in diet. I was losing weight eating around 1700-1800 calories a day, which is the most I’ve ever eaten while counting calories. I don’t really think 1700-1800 is too restrictive. The weight loss plateaued, I think. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m not eating enough for my activity level or if I was eating too much. I hope it’s not that I was eating too much because I don’t want to dip below that amount of food. Anyway, I’m on Day 8 right now. I’ve been keeping track of calories but not restricting myself based on the calories, if that makes sense. As in, I’ll build my meal according to the template but I still count what I’m eating. I know I’m not supposed to be doing this. I just want to ask this question. Since starting Whole30, I’ve been eating around 1800-2000 a day. This is the most I’ve ever eaten [while tracking calories]. I’m not afraid of fat or anything like that, I’m just wondering if getting 2000 is too much. Even though I’m eating high-quality food, I feel like I will still end up gaining weight if I’m eating above my body’s needs. Yesterday I ate around 2100 & I’m a little worried about that today. I just don’t want to reverse the progress I’ve already made with my weight because I’m finally pretty happy with how I look. That’s the only reason I’m asking this question. I’m not really getting hungry between meals, so I think I’m doing that part right. I eat breakfast around 8, lunch around 2, & dinner around 7 or 8, depending on the day. Here’s an example of what I’m eating:

Breakfast

Breakfast casserole [eggs, sausage, spinach, zucchini, peppers, onions; this morning I had about two cups’ worth adds up to about three or four eggs]

Banana [usually a banana or an apple, occasionally a different kind of fruit]

½ can of light coconut milk

6 oz coffee with compliant cashew milk

Lunch

One sweet potato

4ozish chicken cooked in olive oil/balsamic vinegar

One small avocado

Occasionally fruit like berries or grapes, but not always

Dinner

Protein [tonight it’s steak, tomorrow the same kind of chicken I described above]

Vegetable [tonight it’s a baked regular potato, tomorrow will be a mix of roasted veggies including squash, carrots, onion, & peppers]

For fat I count what I use in cooking because I always put a good amount olive oil on my roasted veggies & always marinate my meat in an olive oil based marinade

Sometimes I will also have a bottle of kombucha [GT Dave’s]. I’m going to opt for the lower-sugar ones from now on because I had a mango one the other day & it made me shake, so I know that one had too much sugar.

I’m not sure what to consider my activity level. I’d say closer to moderate than to high. I do between 12000 & 15000 steps most days & do cardio/strength training three or four days a week for 30ish minutes. Does this amount of food seem adequate? I’m not starving between meals. I get hungry probably within half an hour to an hour of my next meal, but not ravenous. I just really don’t want to overdo it [or underdo it].

[Staggolee41]

I'm just completing my first Whole30 myself, so no expert... but if I've learned anything, it's that this plan is about establishing a healthy baseline. Unfortunately, whether that means more or less weight isn't up to you. It's up to environment, genes, and past you. Once you establish that baseline, you are free to move it, as long as you do it in a healthy way.

 

Not having to count calories was one of the best things about Whole30 for me, and it sounds like you're working yourself into analysis paralysis with all of this. Just a thought.

[ladyshanny]

Few things. First, no one here is going to comment on your caloric intake.  We have no idea how that relates to you as a human, your activity level, your appetite, your metabolism or your hormonal balance. The meal template is a range of protein, veggies and fats.  Feel free to move up or down on that range as you feel is fitting to your situation.

 

If you are able to easily make it 6 hours between breakfast and lunch, unless these are static meal times that you cannot change, you could probably consider reducing the size of your breakfast slightly. We almost never make this recommendation.

 

Your lunch and dinner should also prioritize non starchy, green veggies over starchy ones like potato, carrots, squash etc.  Unless you are particularly active, you could try starting with our recommendation of one fist sized serving per day.

[asekal54]

Thank you for the responses; I appreciate them. Regarding the amount of hours between mealtimes: how hungry should I be before I eat? I know they say when you are ready to eat fish & broccoli, but how hungry is that? I’ve eaten by grazing for a long time, so I’m unfortunately unfamiliar with eating just three meals a day. My lunch hour is technically at one, but I don’t like to eat until two because I want to make sure I’m held over until dinner. I usually get hungry around 1:30, occasionally around 11 in which case I’ll have a snack. I’m hungry again by the time I get home [around 6] & start making dinner. I feel kind of stupid for asking what exactly hunger should feel like. I do think I overdid it at dinner last night; I’m not feeling all that great today. I’m having what I guess you could call mild heartburn. I’m not sure if it’s from tomato sauce or from the fattier meat I had last night [85% lean beef instead of my usual >90%].

[ladyshanny]

You shouldn't be starving but comfortably going 4-5 hours. Being hungry is such a fearful concept for many people but when you are fat adapted (as will happen around 10-14 days in), you just know you need to eat but you aren't going to kill someone. Eating at 8, 1 and 6pm is pretty sound. If you are really hungry when you get home and before dinner, have a couple bites of protein and some fat. Just enough to tide you over until dinner time.

[asekal54]

Okay, thank you. I know the difference between when I’m just craving something & when I’m hungry, so that’s not the issue. I guess I was just wondering at what level of hunger I’m supposed to eat. I take it from your reply that it’s fine to eat when I start feeling that “hungry feeling” in my stomach?

[Karen_Suep]

I wanted to address your calorie question. You will be much freer and experience more benefits of you don't count calories. Not all calories are created equal (100 calories of crap vs veggies or healthy fats are used differently by your body). If you're following the template and eating/drinking enough, your body will start normalizing and be healthier.

[jmcbn]

Okay, thank you. I know the difference between when I’m just craving something & when I’m hungry, so that’s not the issue. I guess I was just wondering at what level of hunger I’m supposed to eat. I take it from your reply that it’s fine to eat when I start feeling that “hungry feeling” in my stomach?

Calories are not a thing here because the equations used to calculate daily calorific needs don't REALLY take into account your individual personal circumstances or the foods you are eating, and are based on statistics from a study of 5000 healthy adults.

 

Let that sink in.

 

5000 healthy adults.

 

In a world population of how many?

I can certainly calculate your basic metabolic rate - ie. the calories your body needs just to 'be' if you provide me with your weight, age & activity level (of which there are a few) but over and above that you need to learn to listen to your body. 

 

And yes, eat when you start feeling hungry - which (if your meals are composed optimally) should be around 5hrs after your previous meal.