Day 16- anxiety, insomnia, bloated, stomach issue

[Mereabell]

Hi All,

I'm on my first Whole30 and talked several friends into joining me but by Day 16 I thought I would be feeling great but it's quite the opposite. I have had anxiety the last four days or so and terrible insomnia.  My pants feel tighter and my skin is still breaking out.  I can't figure out where I'm going wrong. The lack of sleep is affecting my workouts

Breakfast: 2 eggs, procuttio, handful of berries (I have a hard time with veggies in the am)

Lunch: Compliant chili with half an avocado, small amount of berries

Snack- Rx bar

dinner: pork loin and roasted brussel sprouts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

it looks like you're not eating enough, particularly with vegetables. Have a little re-visit of the meal template.

[jmcbn]

Hey @Mereabell - sorry you're not feeling too good....

The avocado & sprouts are likely cause for bloating if they're common place in your meals, and a lack of starchy veg can cause symptoms of anxiety... breakfast & lunch also look low on fat (& veg) which can effect both mood & energy levels.

What have your meals looked like for the past 3-4 days so that we can identify any patterns that may help with suggesting tweaks?

[Mereabell]

Hey @jmcbn,

Thanks for the feedback.  

Breakfast is usually 2 eggs, bacon and berries.  Sometimes I'll do a banana and almond butter.  If I have easy veggies I'll do it but again, veggies in the am are tough as I'm still changing my mindset on what my new normal should be.

Lunch- trying to do something i can microwave at lunch so again its been compliant chili (with butternut squash or sweet potatoes in it) and Wholly Guacamole snack pack.  I had packed almonds the first few days but have slacked off.

Dinner is usually grilled streak, hamburger or chicken and green beans sauteed in olive oil and a sweet potato or regular potato.  Sometimes I'll add Almond butter to the potato.

I guess i need to be braver about trying Ghee to add a fat to breakfast?  What other veggies would you consider starchy than potatoes?  Its hard to change the mind set that regular potatoes aren't bad for you.

Thanks again for all of your help!  I'm determined to make this work.

[jmcbn]

Ok, so breakfast veggies - I'm a fan of chopping a load of veg & sauteeing to serve along side under my fried eggs - usually mushrooms, leeks, spinach & onions (I throw the spnach in right at the end just enough to wilt it). I'll also eat my eggs with some roasted red peppers, dill pickles, & sauerkraut, all drizzled with frank's hot sauce & mayo. I sometimes make an egg & smoked salmon bake, and I'll load that up with broccoli & chopped cherry tomatoes. If I don't have eggs it's usually some kind of a one pot meal like a kale & chicken curry, or even pulled pork & cabbage. I'm not a fan of starchy veg at breakfast, and would always recommend any starches & fruit be held back until at least meal 2. The berries aren't too bad in the grand scheme of things, but do try & get some veggies in there.

Other starchy veg would be (for me) roasted or boiled beets, mixed roasted root veg or mixed root veg mash (parsnip, carrot, turnip, potato). Plantains would work, as would yams.

Looking at your current meals I'd say the banana, avocado, nuts & nut butters would well be your problem. Nuts especially can be hard on the gut. They also don't have a great ratio of omega 3 to 6 fatty acids so there are better fat options out there. We'd recommend a closed handful (or equivalent) of nuts/seeds every other day, max.

Maybe start there & see how you go for a few days - let us know how you get on & then we can reassess.

Hope this helps.

[Mereabell]

This is great! Thank you for the feedback!

[Bionicgal]

The potatoes are going to change your life. In a good way! Too low carb can mess with your brain chemistry. If you aren't eating grains, having a potato or a sweet potato is a great idea.