Round Two, Fight!

[Dorktacular]

Day One:

In terms of physical activity, the husband and I were really lax; we binge-watched The Last Man on Earth for a majority of the day.  Despite our overall sloth, we did accomplish a few tasks necessary for success on Whole30.  At my insistence, we cleaned our pantry of all noncompliant food and put them in a box in the basement.  This was something I did not do my first round, but I thought would be helpful this time around as my husband tends to not be as thorough as I am with reading labels and I did not want an accidental slip for either of us.  We also did some food prep which included hard boiling eggs and making mango turkey meatballs.  My husband was a rock star - he was even looking up recipes and checking to make sure ingredients were Whole30 (!!) - and made his own tzatziki sauce, mayo, and sticky coconut amino glazed almonds.

My food for today:
Kitchen Sink Scrambled Eggs
Light salad with egg, almonds, orange, and balsamic vinegar
Chicken, veggies, sweet potato and tzatziki sauce
Almonds for snack 
Taste-tested a meatball or two 

Changes/Reflections/Sensations:
Nothing yet, which is normal for Day One.  Bring on Day Two!

[Anji Branch]

I spent some time prepping to begin my Whole30 journey as well!  Honestly, I am feeling excited!  Now......if only I could bottle up what I am feeling now and carry it with me throughout the process!  Good luck to you!

[Dorktacular]

20 hours ago, Anji Branch said:

I spent some time prepping to begin my Whole30 journey as well!  Honestly, I am feeling excited!  Now......if only I could bottle up what I am feeling now and carry it with me throughout the process!  Good luck to you!

Thanks, Anji!  And I know what you mean, I wish feeling  motivated and bright-eyed-and-bushy-tailed lasted the whole 30 days and beyond!

Good luck to you too!

[Dorktacular]

Day Two:

Generally I felt pretty normal, though I did notice a significant drop in energy closer to the end of my work day.  I think this may have to do with the time that I eat lunch and how many hours pass until I am able to eat dinner, so I think I need to do a better job about packing snacks so I can get through the day.  Or maybe add more protein or fiber to my lunch.  I still didn't make it to the gym or work out at home, which is something that I would like to squeeze in before the weekend, so I can begin to get back into the habit of being physically active during my week.

My food for today:
Two hardboiled eggs with hot sauce, sweet potato with homemade tzatziki, apple with almond butter (my breakfast tends to be pretty basic)
Spring mix with tomato, cucumber, turkey mango meatball, balsamic vinegar; orange; almonds with coconut amino glaze
Chicken wings with coconut amino glaze (my husband really likes it...); coleslaw with homemade mayo and some fruit (!); spinach
Half a mango
Some more sticky almonds (they are hard to resist!)

Changes/Reflections/Sensations:
Energy drop in the late afternoon
Some gastrointestinal rumblings
I'm working on keeping snacking to a minimum as that is an addictive behavior that I am trying to decrease, even if everything I'm snacking on is Whole30
Sharing pictures of my food is helping me to keep my plate better balanced - I tend to have more protein and starch than green vegetables - yay accountability!

[Dorktacular]

Day Three:

I slept like a rock last night, which was great and out of the norm for me!  But I also think indicative of the Whole30 detox taking place.

Tried to spice up my usually basic breakfast by making a quick and dirty sweet potato and mango meatball "hash" with Frank's Red Hot (I seriously put it on everything) and tzatziki sauce.  I swear it tasted better than it looks and sounds.  I also increased the size of my salad today to try to problem-solve the unexpected dip in energy yesterday.  However, I still experienced the dip, so now I'm assuming I have just hit my tired phase of Whole30, which hopefully means I will be done with that soon!  
Still no gym or exercise, I had a doctor's appointment after work.  That combined with feeling EXHAUSTED lead to no exercise.  But I need to find a way to work it in.

My food for today:
My breakfast "hash" with an apple and almond butter
Salad with cucumber, tomato, egg, nutritional yeast, and balsamic vinegar plus an orange and sticky almonds made by my husband earlier this week
Leftover wings and coleslaw from earlier this week
Mini meal (I was hungry after my appointment even though I ate 2 hours prior)- potato, mango chicken meatballs, sticky nuts, and a banana 

Changes/Reflections/Sensations:
Irritability and low motivation
Exhaustion hit around the same time it did yesterday and caffeine did not help
Gastrointestinal changes
A desire to lock my door and crawl under my desk at work
Difficulty focusing and finding the proper words when describing things

[Dorktacular]

Day Four:

Today I had to eat the nuts that I packed for lunch as a morning snack, which is unusual for me, but for some reason I was hungry though I did not eat anything out of the norm for breakfast.  Slowly running out of quick protein and veggies (thank god tomorrow is Friday and I can stock back up again on Saturday).  My irritability seems to have dissipated and my brain fog is also decreasing slightly.  I've been really relying on the husband to cook this week - which was the homework I gave him to have him jump into Whole30 and understand the planning that it takes - but I know next week will be my week and I need to up my game!  I have been feeling generally unmotivated to cook or be active and I am not sure if it's the weather, Whole30, or just lack of motivation, but I am hoping that this weekend I can get back into the gym and build back some energy back up.

My food for today:
Hardboiled eggs with hot sauce, banana with almond butter, and a sweet potato with a tzatziki and hot sauce combo (I am in love with the mixture of flavors!)
Almonds (not pictured because I ate them before my lunch)
Salad with broccoli (my coworker taught me that trick), carrots, tomatoes, nutritional yeast (to up the protein), balsamic vinegar, mango meatballs and an apple
Stew that my husband made with curry powder and other spices, broccoli, cauliflower, and potatoes over mango meatballs
Banana (not pictured)
Stolen bites of more stew and almonds 

Changes/Reflections/Sensations:
Munchy at night
Craving wine 
Still hitting that exhaustion wall at about 3:30-4 with no reprieve until I eat dinner, even when I have already amped up my protein and vegetables for lunch
Decrease in brain fog and irritability
Still having gastrointestinal stuff

[Dorktacular]

Day Five:

Less tired today and didn't hit the wall of exhaustion today, so hopefully that is all done with!  We are quickly running out of produce and need to stock up.  We only have bananas left for fruit and our greens are almost all gone.  My work day was so hectic that I didn't have time to focus on anything else related to Whole 30 (which may have been a good thing!)

My food for today:
Makeshift hash with sweet potatoes, Applegate Farms beef hotdogs, hot sauce, tzatziki (sensing themes?), a banana and almond butter
Leftover stew, mango meatballs, banana
Roasted broccoli, chicken with curry paste, bacon, cucumber "salad" (thanks to my husband)

Changes/Reflections/Sensations:
Less tired
Still low energy, but no exhaustion - maybe a good night's sleep will help?

[Dorktacular]

Day Six:

Shopping and meal prep day (part one!).  It's my week to plan to big meals and I lined up some new recipes that I am excited to try!  I also bought some kambucha as a treat for myself - I was getting sick of only water, seltzer, and tea.  I also tried dried apricot for the first time and it is delightful!

My food for today:
kitchen sink scrambled eggs with hot sauce, banana and peanut butter
leftover stew with compliant hot dog slices, grapes, and kambucha
leftover cucumber salad, curry chicken, homemade thousand island dressing, and an orange
snacked on some grapes and dried fruit throughout the day

Changes/Reflections/Sensations:
gastrointestinal stuff dying down
cravings for alcohol, which I think is due to the fact that for the past month I drank every weekend due to parties and holidays
had my first anxiety dream about eating something non-Whole30
more energy today (yay!!!)

 

[Dorktacular]

Day Seven:

Meal prep day part 2.  Had the munchies all day, again, probably because I was home and largely inactive all day.  I've been avoiding the gym because it's cold and because I know how crowded it will be because it is the new year and everyone is getting their resolution on.  So I've been trying to think of ways to be more active at home.  I have small weights and a kettle bell, but I have been largely unsuccessful in motivating myself.  But!  I did remember that we have a Wii Fit that I had pretty good success with a few years ago.  I remember that I did their 30 day challenge and how much it kicked my butt.  I'm at a different weight and fitness level now, but I'm hopeful that it can kick my butt again and jump start the strength training that I want to get into - while still avoiding the cold and overcrowded gym for a bit more.  

My food for today:
Spicy Sweet Potato Breakfast bowl with added pineapple
Roasted sausage and potato soup with a banana
Spaghetti Squash casserole with egg, sausage, and tomato sauce; pulled beef, grapes, and kiwi
And throughout the day I have munched on almonds, grapes, dried apricot (I am in love), and pulled pork and pulled beef
I also had kambucha

Changes/Reflections/Sensations:
I am continuing to prove to myself that inactivity=boredom=eating
I need to get better on curbing snacking
Meal prep makes me feel energized and proud
No physical sensations or changes to note

[Dorktacular]

Day Eight:

Got back into the fitness aspect of my journey!  I have been really slacking on going to the gym since September (my wedding) and last week I had so little energy and motivation.  That coupled with the knowledge that the gym will be packed because it's the new year has kept me from going.  But, I brought out my Wii and hopped back onto my old Wii Fit profile and started a 30 day fitness challenge program in the game.  It kicked my butt in a great way and it was good to see how much progress I have made since I last did it three years and 60 pounds ago.  I'm just glad to be moving again.  I was getting stuck in the mindset that it was gym or nothing - because I don't get hard enough workout at home like I do the gym - and that was just feeding into my low motivation.  I also realize that I do better when the workout is structured.  On my own I can talk myself out of how many reps or machines to do, but having a program to follow really pushes me to go past my comfort level, which is what I need to do if I want to build strength and tone.

Also tried some new recipes today for lunch and dinner which were delightful  

My food for today:
Spaghetti Squash casserole with egg, sausage, nutritional yeast, and tomato sauce; apple and peanut butter
Leftover butternut quash and carrot stew; turkey and apple breakfast patties; husband's homemade ketchup; orange
Cider Pulled Pork with Mustard Broccoli on top of sweet potato boats; grapes
Post workout snack/meal - egg, half of a sweet potato, salsa, and an apple

Changes/Reflections/Sensations:
No more energy drops throughout the day
Higher level of energy today
Increased motivation for physical activity
Need to remember to bring an emergency snack to work in case I get hungry before I am able to go home and eat dinner

[Anji Branch]

Your "Spicy Sweet Potato Breakfast bowl with added pineapple" sounds awesome! Is there a recipe somewhere that you followed or did you just wing it?  I would love to try it.  I made a Whole 30 Tandoori Chicken tonight that was pretty amazing.

 

[Dorktacular]

23 hours ago, Anji Branch said:

Your "Spicy Sweet Potato Breakfast bowl with added pineapple" sounds awesome! Is there a recipe somewhere that you followed or did you just wing it?  I would love to try it.  I made a Whole 30 Tandoori Chicken tonight that was pretty amazing.

 

Hi Anji!  I got the recipe from the Whole30 Recipe page on Facebook - I wish I could wing stuff like that!  I'm new to cooking, so I'm not that good yet

This is the recipe I used (and then I just added pineapple because I had it):

Spicy Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowls

Serves 4
2 medium sweet potatoes

2 tbsp olice oil

1tsp chili powder

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp lime zest

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp lime juice 
Salad:

4 eggs cooked your favorite way

4 cups mixed greens

¼ red cabbage

1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes

1 small bunch cilantro 
Preheat your oven to 400. Wash and dry the sweet potatoes, then slice into about 1/2 inch pieces. In a bowl, mix together the oil, spices, lime juice and zest. Add the slices of potatoes and mix until each slice is coated on both sides. Lay the slices flat on a parchment lined baking sheet and cook for about 10 minutes, then flip and cook for anther 10 minutes. 
Thinly slice or shred the red cabbage and mix with your salad greens. Top salads with fried eggs, tomatoes, cilantro and sweet potato slices, and top with salsa if you'd like. 

 

 

And that Tandoori Chicken sounds fabulous!  Was that something you came up with or found?

[Dorktacular]

Day Eight:

I was feeling slightly drained today, but I think that had way more to do with work stress than Whole30.  I was definitely craving some wine after work today - again, work stress - but it was fleeting and I knew that a yummy dinner and a good workout awaited me when I got home.  Second day using my Wii Fit Active game and I forgot how much it was a leg workout!  But, the fun thing is that I'm noticing that it is easier for me this time around than it was 3 years ago when I was 60lbs heavier.  I find that I have better form and stamina, so I do the workouts more correctly and with less desire to quit, which I think will help me keep my motivation in the long run.  However, while it's working out my legs, my arms still seem to be not as engaged, so I'm thinking of putting wrist weights on to add some more resistance and see if I can notice a difference.

My food for today:
Spaghetti Squash casserole with egg, sausage,, and tomato sauce; an additional egg for protein; banana and peanut butter
Salad with greens, cabbage, shredded carrot, tomatoes and broccoli; turkey and apple breakfast patties; balsamic vinegar; orange (I forgot to take a picture!!)
Almonds and pistachio nuts as a snack to tide me over until I got home
Cider Pulled Pork; brussel sprouts with bacon (so good)
Post workout snack/meal - egg, half of a sweet potato, salsa, and grapes
Dried apricots as a small munchy snack

Changes/Reflections/Sensations:
Nothing major to note, just feeling glad that I'm back moving again
 

[Dorktacular]

Day Ten:

Rest day for my 30 day exercise challenge.  I felt pretty good overall today, though a little tired this evening.  My husband surprised me with dinner tonight - it was my turn to plan it and make it, but he was inspired   It's nice to see him taking it seriously and getting excited about what he can do,  I love that we can share this together now.

My food for today:
Sweet potato, avocado, two hardboiled eggs, hot sauce, and a banana
Leftover pulled beef, leftover roasted sausage and potato soup, and an apple
Almonds for a snack
Salad with homemade creamy onion and (something something..the husband made it) dressing; pulled beef with homemade bbq sauce; pan fried potatoes
Apple and dried apricot for a snack

Changes/Reflections/Sensations
None to note today.  Muscles are sore from working out.  I'm a little tired this evening, but overall I am okay.  Not a lot of energy yet, I can't wait to hit Tiger Blood!

[Anji Branch]

On January 10, 2017 at 7:53 PM, Dorktacular said:

And that Tandoori Chicken sounds fabulous!  Was that something you came up with or found?

Hey there!  The Tandoori Chicken was a Whole 30 recipe on instagram. We used Chicken Tenderloins rather than chicken thighs because that's what we happened to have unhand.

Mix together......

1/2 TBSP Curry Powder

1/2 TBSP Red Pepper Flakes

1/2 TBSP Sald

3/4 tsp ground ginger

3/4 tsp smoked paprika (I used regular paprika, that's what I had)

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp ground tumeric

1 TBSP minced garlic (I doubled the garlic - because we love the stuff)

2 TBSP lemon juice (I used lime juice)

1 1/2 Cup Coconut Milk

1/2 Cup Cilantro, chopped

 

Whisk together above ingredients and place them in a gallon ziplock, add 9 chicken thighs or tenderloins (like I did).  Close ziplock and put in fridge, to marinate for 6 hours.

Preheat oven to 350

On the stovetop - Brown chicken in a few TBSP olive oil on med-high heat in skillet.  If you use thighs, brown chicken skin side down for approximately 5 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown.

Turn the chicken over and add pour the remaining marinade over the chicken

Bake the chicken until it reaches and internal temperature of 160 degrees (about 20 minutes)

**Since I used tenderloins, I was able to finish it off on the stove.  I just melted little coconut oil in a large iron clad skillet and dumped chicken and marinate in the pan all at once and cooked it through.  

 

 

[Dorktacular]

21 hours ago, Anji Branch said:

Hey there!  The Tandoori Chicken was a Whole 30 recipe on instagram. We used Chicken Tenderloins rather than chicken thighs because that's what we happened to have unhand.

 

 

Thank you for the recipe!! I'm excited for this one!

[Dorktacular]

Day Eleven:

Work stress continues which leads to brief wine cravings, but other than that things seem to be going well.  I don't feel the desire to cheat or stop and my body is feeling good.  Did some strength training in my legs today.  I hate strength training and I realize that I shy away from it, which is probably why I don't have the muscle tone that I would like, so it's good that I am doing something structured that pushes me to do what's uncomfortable.  But ugh I hate lunges!

We are also running a little low on produce - mainly fruit - which leads me to having about two bananas today.  Also, I have been lazy (though not really, more like overworked) and I haven't been making my lunch before bed, resulting in less salads.  So I need to get better with that so I can have more greens and less sweet potatoes.

My food for today:
Hardboiled eggs, sweet potato, avocado, banana, hot sauce
Sweet potato, avocado, left over cider pulled pork, and a banana (not shown because it was eaten later)
Chicken BLT ( with chicken as the bun (!!)) with homemade thousand island dressing, broccoli
Dried avocados and grapes for snack
Post workout snack/meal - scrambled eggs with salsa and hot sauce; kiwi

Changes/Reflections/Sensations:
A little gassy today
Had a food dream last night, though it wasn't like other food dreams I've had on Whole30 - no anxiety attached to it - so I wonder if it's Whole30 related
 

[Dorktacular]

Day Twelve:

Weird random cravings today.  Varying levels of motivation and energy, though again I think it is work-related stress and not Whole30.  This week my ability to create diverse meals definitely petered out, so I am hoping next week will be better all around.  I did keep up on all of my fitness days though and I feel really good about that.  I really wanted to eat all of my emotions this week, and not to say that I didn't snack or pick, but I think I navigated it much better than I have in the past.

My food for today:
Sweet potato with avocado, banana, sausage
Roasted sausage and potato soup, part of a chicken breast, banana
Nuts for a snack
Baby spinach with homemade guacamole, chicken breast, salsa, read cabbage, and hot sauce
Banana for a snack
Post workout meal - sugar snap peas, hot dog, homemade ketchup

Changes/Reflections/Sensations:
Happy to have food that I can easily grab when I feel unmotivated to cook.  Food diversity goes out the window at that point, but I'm glad to be staying within the program limitations.
Food is still my main way to cope and I get much more munch when I am stressed
Seltzer water has been a decent replacement for wine when I want to unwind - the bubbles and flavor make it feel like a special drink

[Dorktacular]

Day Thirteen:

Rest day for my fitness plan.  I am definitely experiencing more cravings today - for alcohol and sweet stuff.  I've been munchy all day.  We didn't go grocery shopping today, so our food variety is still low.  Tomorrow we plan to shop and do some food prep, which will hopefully pick things back up for me.  This second Whole30 has been different for me in a couple of different ways - easier but more cravings.

My food for today:
Scrambled eggs with salsa, nutritional yeast, and guacamole; sweet potato, banana
Cider pulled pork, green beans
Banana and almond butter
Cider pulled pork and green beans (again)
Kiwi, pistachios, stoel fried potatoes from husband's plate
Almonds, pistachios, sausage, green beans, husband's homemade ketchup

Changes/Reflections/Sensations:
I love sweet potatoes but I think I need to eat less of them

[Dorktacular]

Day Fourteen:

Today we went grocery shopping and I feel much better with a larger variety of food in the house.  My cravings have largely subsided today, though I did have a dream that I drank a glass of wine last night.  I told my husband today how I wish we took a better look at food expenses on Whole30 vs. not on Whole30.  I know it seems more expensive to do Whole30 up front, but I'm wonder if it evens out considering we're not buying things like granola bars, dairy, cereal, etc.  Maybe next time!

My food for today:
Last of the cider pulled pork and a sweet potato
Mandarin orange, cashews and almonds, baby carrots (as a snack/mini meal and over the span of a half hour) (I ate breakfast late and realized I wouldn't get three real meals in, 
      so I had a snack to tide me over until dinner)
Ribbon salad with homemade vinaigrette that the husband made; coconut amino wings and bbq wings - also that the husband made; a dried apricot
Post workout snack - egg, carrots, grapes 

Changes/Reflections/Sensations:
Recognized that my low mood may be due to where I am in my menstrual cycle, which also generally affects my cravings
Did more research about post workout meals and that they are not necessarily mandatory - which is good, because I have been choking down those mini meals, and now I know I don't need to

[Dorktacular]

Day Fifteen:

Today was meal prep day, which was good and bad.  Because I was meal prepping I was grazing while in the kitchen, and thus did not eat lunch because I wasn't hungry.  Whoops.  Grazing/snacking is my big problem.  Even though everything is Whole30, it's still a bad habit/comfort that I am trying to retrain.

Other than that, I had a dream last night that I was offered something noncompliant and I turned it down!  Never had a food dream turn out that way before, so I'm taking it as a good sign. 

I felt more energized today than I have in weeks, so I am hoping that this means that Tiger Blood is coming!  And with some awesome meals prepared for the week, I can only imagine that it will go well!  Here's to hoping this is a better work week than I have been having.

My food for today:
Leftover coconut amino wings and bbq wings; leftover ribbon salad
Grapes, nuts, dried apricots, carrots, turkey meatballs (had to taste test, of course) throughout the day as I was munchy, graze-y and in the kitchen
Chicken stir fry with coconut aminos, curry paste, peppers, carrots, broccoli; mandarin orange
Egg, nuts, and some grapes - again, munchy and after my workout

Changes/Reflections/Sensations:
Gastrointestinal stuff decreased
Mood increased
Too much snacking!!! Maybe it's because I've been home for three days...

[Dorktacular]

Day Sixteen:

Back to work today, so less grazing throughout the day (though after dinner during cleaning the kitchen I snacked on cashews, grapes, and a dried apricot.  The kitchen is not my friend/I have no willpower).  My breakfast was not filling enough though, which left me hungry in the middle of the day.  The same with my lunch, so I had a Lara Bar to tide me over until dinner.  Because of this, I plan on adding more protein to my meals tomorrow as well as more veggies.  

I am doing a separate fitness challenge and this week is all about hydrating, so I also made sure to drink 64 oz of water today.

My food for today:
Frittata with spinach, broccoli, and tomato; sweet potato
Left over chicken stir fry with lettuce, an egg, nutritional yeast, and smoked almonds; an apple
Lara Bar
Creamy Spinach and Sweet Potato Noodles with Cashew sauce; turkey meatballs
Grapes, nuts, dried apricot

Changes/Reflections/Sensations:
Gastrointestinal issues nonexistent today
Had a dream last night that my husband ate non-compliant food and I was mad at him in the dream
Low energy towards the end of the day, but again I think that was due to not enough protein

 

[Dorktacular]

Day Seventeen:

Regular average day, nothing really special or new to report.  Feeling good.  Feeling motivated.  Didn't get hungry throughout the day like yesterday because I upped my protein (yay it worked!).

I'm also trying to remind myself that I probably won't see such the drastic change that I did on my first Whole30 considering all the progress that I have made since then and how closely I stuck with the tenets of the program since.  I think I am starting to notice some changes with my husband, who is doing this for the first time, so that's exciting!

My food for today:
Frittata, egg, sweet potato, hot sauce, avocado
Salad with romaine lettuce, red cabbage, shredded carrots, smoked almonds, turkey meatballs, balsamic vinegar; apple
Carrots, cashews, and grapes to tide me over while I drove home and then cooked dinner 
Sweet potato and ground turkey chili with tomatoes

Changes/Reflections/Sensations:
Nothing new to report!

 

[Dorktacular]

Day Eighteen:

Hard work out today!  I am also preparing for a weekend with my ladies, so I am packing all of my food hahaha.  My goal is to make my food and be as unobtrusive and obnoxious as possible.  And I don't want to make a lot of dishes to clean while I am there.  So I am bringing pre-prepared meats and easy veggies.  Lots of leftovers, fruits, and microwavable options.  I also know that there will be a lot of drinking (I'm actually supplying some of that) so I am preparing my six-pack of seltzer and some kombucha so I'm not sadly drinking water in a corner.  I'm also bringing my Wii Active game as one of those days is an active workout day in my challenge.  I can do this!

My food for today:
Frittata, avocado, sweet potato, banana
Salad with romaine lettuce, red cabbage, shredded carrots, smoked almonds, turkey meatballs, balsamic vinegar; apple
Carrots and cashews to tide me over while I ran errands before going home
Chicken curry and cauliflower rice
Mandarin orange, dried apricots
Post workout snack - sausage, potato 

Changes/Reflections/Sensations:
None to report today!

[jmcbn]

Hey @Dorktacular - how's it going?

The logs generally aren't moderated but one of our members (who preferred to remain nameless or comment themselves!!) asked me to take a look at yours as they were concerned you weren't getting the biggest bang for your buck... 

I have to say some of your meals look pretty good & have inspired me to go searching for some new recipes for my Sunday food prep, but you do seem to be snacking an awful lot, and eating a lot more fruit & nuts/nut products than would be recommended (fruit would be x2 fist sized servings per day, nuts & their by products would be a closed handful - or equivalent - every other day, max), and you look to be a little low on fat - nut butter really isn't the best of sources.

The snacking will ultimately keep your sugar dragon alive (I note you mention a lot more cravings this time around). and will also prevent you from becoming fat adapted as you're constantly topping up your body with an immediate source of fuel rather than leaving a longer gap between meals thereby allowing your body to learn to tap into it's fat stores as fuel.

If you'd like we could take a look at your schedule and see if we can't make some tweaks to your meals so that you can drop the snacks & see more benefits....?