Day 9 need suggestions!

[Mchadwick]

Hi, I am on day nine and I am having trouble eating meat. Just the thought of meat makes me feel nauseous. I know I need the protein since I run 2 miles several times a week. Any suggestions?

[becs]

Do you have access to the Whole30 book? There's a whole section in there for Vegetarians, which I can only assume gives guidance for protein without meat (I didn't actually read that section). There's also a section in the forum for vegetarians/vegans - I would skim through those topics and read the ones that discuss protein.

[ShannonM816]

You might find the tips in this article helpful: http://whole9life.com/2013/02/eating-meat-a-primer-for-the-meat-challenged-2/

You could try these salmon cakes, the seem less "meaty" than some other options: http://meljoulwan.com/2014/11/10/oven-fried-salmon-cakes/

Or it might be helpful to have something like a stir fry or a casserole where the meat is mixed in with everything else and not as noticeable. Or you could have eggs more for a few days and see if that helps.

Combining the vegetarian plan which allows for legumes or dairy and the standard whole30 is not recommended. 

[ladyshanny]

@Mchadwick - some level of protein exhaustion is common in the beginning stages. Could you let us know what you've been eating and how this differs from your previous diet? Combining vegetarian protein sources if doing the original Whole30 would negate the Whole30.

@becs - Unfortunately the vegetarian version is suggestions for people who won't/can't/choose not to eat animal protein to improve their health/diet as much as possible but consuming any dairy, legumes etc means you aren't actually doing a Whole30.

There are ways that we can probably help you get over the protein issue if you can fill in a bit more information.

[becs]

AH, thanks for the head's up @ladyshanny! I had no idea that the vegetarian guidelines included non Whole30 food. Sorry for the misinformation on my part! 

[Mchadwick]

Thanks so much. I started the whole30 to loose weight, obviously whole30 is about far more! I ate meat and dairy...cottage cheese, yogurt, cheese and protein shakes... for protein in my previous life, before whole30. I used to love grilled chicken, fish, pork and steak. No longer! My husband is disappointed as he is a master griller. I liked the suggestion of including the meat in dishes rather than a stand alone. I did make some beef soup ( with roast)  that was wonderful that I really liked with all the veggies. It seems like I mostly eat veggies, potatoes and fruit..mostly cabs I know.  I will try the suggestions and try to make a spaghetti sauce with turkey or beef this evening and see how it goes.  On a positive note I went to the fair last night with family and took nuts and a plum and made it through! No corndog no funnel cake no corn on the cob!    Yea for me!

Thanks everyone all suggestions are appreciated! 

[ladyshanny]

@Mchadwick - it sounds to me like maybe you are just adjusting. If you didn't previously eat a lot of veggies, your body could be prioritizing them over the other foods in order to bump up nutrient stores. Keep trying. The amount of protein that Whole30 asks you to eat isn't excessive and my guess is that your husband will be grilling protein for you again before too long. 

You could try a digestive enzyme or some pro-biotics in the form of sauerkraut (the refrig kind, not shelf stable), kombucha etc. 

Try new seasoning rubs (jerk, za'atar, raj el hanout) on the meats, chicken salad with pickles, apples and home made mayo stuffed in peppers or lettuce leaves is good. Try a protein based topping on your veggies (http://paleomg.com/thai-chicken-stuffed-sweet-potatoes/). 

 

[Mchadwick]

I am at day 20 and feel sooooo hungry. Pizza smells so good in my office!  It hasn't been that hard and I have managed, but it seems to be getting harder and harder to stay away from certain foods!  I went home at lunch and ate whole 30 meatloaf and mashed potato's and broccoli. But lets face it...that isn't pizza!   Really struggling here! 

[ShannonM816]

40 minutes ago, Mchadwick said:

I am at day 20 and feel sooooo hungry. Pizza smells so good in my office!  It hasn't been that hard and I have managed, but it seems to be getting harder and harder to stay away from certain foods!  I went home at lunch and ate whole 30 meatloaf and mashed potato's and broccoli. But lets face it...that isn't pizza!   Really struggling here! 

If you feel hungry, eat. Truly, eat -- more than you think is an okay amount, more than you may have been told is ladylike (if you're female -- I'm guessing men don't generally deal with people expecting them to eat tiny amounts all the time).  A lot of times, cravings are really just your body saying it's hungry and wants food -- it's picking up on pizza right now because that's what you're smelling, but it might be just as happy if you ate something else.

Eat 1-2 palm-sized portions of protein, the length, width, and height of your palm, or if eggs are your only protein in a meal, have as many whole eggs as you can hold in one hand, which is probably 3-4. Depending on how you make it, something like meatloaf or salmon cakes may need to be even bigger because they can have fillers that make them look bigger without adding protein. Eat 1-2 thumb-sized portions of fat (if you're using oil or mayo), or 1-2 heaping handfuls of olives or coconut flakes, or 1/2 to a whole avocado, or up to half a can of coconut milk, or a small handful of nuts/seeds. And then fill your plate with vegetables -- we often say 1-3 cups, but let's be honest, one cup of veggies is not filling the plate up. Aim for closer to three cups.

If what you're wanting from pizza is the flavors, the tomato sauce and Italian seasonings, you could make meatballs and have it over spaghetti squash, zoodles, or even just stuffed in a baked potato or sweet potato. Or you could make meatza. 

If what you're wanting is convenience, do something simple for your next meal -- eggs or leftovers. Or look for a restaurant nearby where you can get a compliant meal -- they do exist, you just have to look carefully and ask some questions to be sure they know what you need.