21 one days down and struggling.

[balancedbrunette]

I'm not sure which forum this falls under, but I thought "log" was most appropriate.  

 

So I am in a huge slump.  I'm not excited about the next 10 days at all (5 days of which I'll have to be on a business trip sharing a suite with a co-worker) and I've overeaten at my last 2 meals because I haven't been satisfied with what I made (i.e. I ate a whole can of olives with lunch and had 3 servings of dinner).  I am not experiencing tiger blood.  I feel...normal.  I think the newness has worn off, and I know that trying new recipes is recommended, but I just can't get excited about it.  I'm bloated from overeating salt yesterday, and stayed up way too late watching movies so am tired.  

 

If you have any motivational words or recipes that you get excited about, please send them along.  I know there have probably been other posts along this line, but personalized words are always more effective!    I really want to do this, and know I will be stricter in my next whole30 by including no overeating, but I really have been sticking to the plan in terms of food compliance.  

 

Thanks!

[jmcbn]

Hey there

 

I'm guessing you're not eating enough based purely in the fact you ate a whole can of olives - fat is particularly satiating and so if you're happy (& capable) of eating a lot of it you're clearly not eating enough in general.

Can you tell us what exactly you have eaten over the past say 4 days, giving specifics on portion sizes of protein in relation to the size of your palm, as well as vegetable types (& portion sizes), liquid intake, activity levels, sleep & stress levels & any meds you might be taking - that way we'll be better equipped to help you trouble shoot.

If your meals are composed appropriately you should not be in a slump of any kind, and regarding the bloat that could well be the result of something you are eating but are sensitive to - compliant ornot.

 

Tell us what you've been eating & help us to help you.

[balancedbrunette]

Sure!  I drink plenty of water at all times - even before the whole30, hydration was always important.

 

Breakfast:

1,2,3: 2 eggs scrambled with shredded zucchini with ~2 T(?) homemade mayo 

 

Lunch:

1: turkey burger (palm sized) with homemade mayo & ketchup and roasted butternut squash

2: apple chicken sausage sauteed in coconut oil with a side of fried plantain chips & ketchup

3: protein salad (as in the cookbook) & 1/2 a large sweet potato w/ clarified butter

 

Dinner:

1: 2 small lobsters and a baked potato 

2: baked salmon (more than palm sized, but pretty thin), green beans roasted in olive oil, sauteed sweet potato

3: 2/3 of a breast of chicken (it was huge), more roasted butternut squash

 

I just started running again, but I mostly just try to walk for 30 minutes a day or use the elliptical.  If I get really hungry in the afternoon I have a handful of cashews, HB egg, or even half a burger or something.

 

I slept terribly for the past couple days because I stayed up late watching movies, which I don't really do normally.    Now that you mention it...it's probably something to do with that!

[jmcbn]

Yeah, you're meals look on the light side to me, particularly breakfast.

When eggs are your only source of protein in a meal you should be eating the number of whole eggs you can hold in one hand without dropping - this is 3-4 eggs for most females. If you feel you don;t want to eat more eggs you could always add in a different protein - ground beef, eggs, pork chop etc... Unless you're eating a shed load of zucchini on the side then you're not eating enough veg. ZUcchini is a pretty watery veg - add in some sauteed onions, mushrooms, or kale maybe - you're aiming for at least one cup, but in real terms your plate should be FULL - and then add your fat.

Lunches look a little better but still light on veg. Are the plantain chips home made? No commercially prepared chips are allowed on Whole30.

Your dinners are all lacking in fat. Remember that the fat you use for cooking mostly stays in the pan so you should be adding an additional source to each meal - olives, mayo, coconut cream, compliant bacon, ghee, sliced avocado...... Fat is your friend here - embrace it and you'll feel a WHOLE lot better for it both mentally AND physically.

On the days that you run you may benefit from adding in a small postWO meal - a few bites of a lean protein & optional starchy carb - this should help keep the hunger at bay and will also aide with recovery & muscle repair.

And yes, sleep (or rather lack of it) is so much more disruptive to our overall health than most people realise.

 

Hope this helps.

[balancedbrunette]

Great, thanks for the suggestions!  And yes the plantain chips are homemade.   I'll look up some veggie recipes to add to lunch.  I also didn't realize that pan cooking fat didn't count!

 

Thanks again.  8 days to go...

[MrsZimm13]

Good luck on your next 8 days!

You can do it!!

[Anna Rhoads]

Good morning!! Don't give up, you have to try new recipes to keep from getting bored. I am on day 14 almost half way there, I am full to the point when my next meal is up I am not hungry but know I have to eat. My gf, Nikki gave me an idea for breakfast when I get tired of eggs or dinner. Get a bowl of mixed fruit, walnuts, coconut flakes, hemp & chia seeds, add coconut milk & cinnamon . It is such a treat it is like having dessert.

[jmcbn]

My gf, Nikki gave me an idea for breakfast when I get tired of eggs or dinner. Get a bowl of mixed fruit, walnuts, coconut flakes, hemp & chia seeds, add coconut milk & cinnamon . It is such a treat it is like having dessert.

Yeah, please don't do this.

 

Attempting to recreate traditional breakfasts or other types of foods with compliant ingredients is the antithesis of what we are trying to do here - and this meal does not match the recommended meal template so will result in sub optimal results. The meal you describe lacks both protein & veg, and is fat heavy - and inferior fats at that (nuts/seeds should be eaten in moderation due to their poor omega 3:6 ratio).

Protein, veg & fat - x3 times a day (plus pre/postWO meals where necessary) and you won't go far wrong.