Meal Portion help!

[Frannietripp]

Hello!!! I am on day 7 on my second try of the whole30! Last time I only made it to day 17:) this time around is a little different and today was the first day that I felt somewhat "normal" after starting. 

Quick background on my health, I am an avid gym goer. I lift weights 5-6 times a week and do cardio 4-5 times a week. I just recently competed in my first ever body building competition and I was following a very strict meal plan (same thing everyday for a month, one cheat a week) type thing. I really did enjoy the challenge of body building but I know it took a toll on me mentally and physically. I was very happy before the competition but now I struggle with body image and I was having trouble sticking to my meal plan the last two months. I would fluctuate a lot and often eat tons of sweets or junk I wasn't supposed to have and cue vicious cycle. 

So I decided to try whole30 again because I want that better relationship with food and who wants to be on a meal plan forever? 

My struggle basically has been with portion sizes, I know I want to eat on the higher end of the template because I have an active job (teacher) and I still am in the gym a lot doing heavy lifts and cardio (my therapy) I just feel as if I'm over eating. It's odd to go from counting and writing everything to I can eat whatever, I know that first few days I took advantage of that even though it was all whole30 compliant foods. 

So here is a typical day for me (I don't do nuts or nut butters because it's a no no for me) 

Day 7 -

Breakfast - 1egg/ground turkey/hash (pots/peppers/mushrooms)

Lunch - turkey/spaghetti squash/Apple

PreWo- 3 fried eggs /coconut oil /mayo/

Snack- banana

Post wo -turkey burger/sweet potatoe fries   

snack -1.5 serving turkey/ 1/2 serving mashed golden potatoes 

Dinner - tuna salad /carrots/guac/Apple

 

 

This is a fairly typical day for me. I feel like I'm snacking a lot and need to focus on bigger meals. My only issue is I can almost ALWAYS say yes to steamed broccoli and fish and I can feel a difference between being just "tired" and feeling weak. 

Any information or tips will definitely help!!

[ShannonM816]

If you're hungry, eat. Even if it seems like a huge amount of food. Some people need more food than others, and it sounds like you're pretty active so it makes sense you'd need more than someone who sits around at a desk all day and doesn't really exercise.

As far as the steamed broccoli and fish -- the point of that test is to think of something bland, that you wouldn't necessarily eat for pleasure, but only if you're hungry. If you'd eat steamed broccoli and fish because you just really like them, think of something else. Back when I did Weight Watchers, I had a leader who used, if you're hungry enough you'd go eat green beans straight out of the can, you're really hungry. Maybe it's plain turkey, or a tossed salad of iceberg lettuce and sad looking out of season tomatoes -- a thing that if someone set it down in front of you, if you were really hungry you'd eat it, but if you weren't really hungry, you'd have no problem passing it up. If you cannot think of anything you'd pass up, maybe you really are just really hungry.

I'm not seeing a lot of fats listed. Every meal needs 1-2 servings of fat, and often the fat you cook in stays in the pan and isn't consumed, so don't be afraid to add some in addition to what you cook in. Have some olives, some mayo, some avocado, make some other sauces or dips, add coconut flakes.

If you do need a snack between meals, rather than having fruit on its own, try to have a mini-meal of protein, fat, and vegetables, or at least two of the three. The mini-meal will be more filling than the fruit, and not likely to cause the blood sugar spikes and drops that fruit can.

It really is okay to eat more than society tells us is okay, especially if you're female and have been told to eat small lady-like portions (I think you are from your user name, but if not, apologies).

 

[Frannietripp]

Thank you! That does help! Its a very physiological thing for me rather than weight loss! I have been on a fat adapted like diet before and I did like it for n extended period of time but it was still following a meal plan. 

I will definitely work on incorporating more fats in, I have an avocado oil may I love! I will also work on less fruit and more proteins and greens as snacks. 

 

Thank you so much!  Oh and yes I am a female!