Struggling at D16

[Angie W]

I'm R1D16 and I feel OK, not great.   I was feeling better a 4-5 days ago.  I think I had some food that bothered me during the weekend or earlier in the week (clarified butter that was not completely clarified?  I'm not sure what the culprit was).  For 3-4 nights I woke up at 3-4 am, and was also bloated, and my rosacea was acting up.  Things have calmed down, but I'm still bloated.  I don't really crave any noncompliant food, just more, um, blah.  I'm eating all compliant food and using the meal template, so I'm getting enough plated fat, etc.  I'm not eating anything I haven't eaten hundreds of times before. (My diet was pretty clean before, I have been gluten-free for years and don't eat much in the way of grains or dairy regularly.  I did drink a fair amount of wine and had a fearsome sugar dragon.)

I have eaten more nuts this past week--perhaps I'm sensitive?  Otherwise, I don't have a clue . . . .

I was hoping for some Tiger Blood, or at least feeling better than this by now . . . .

[ladyshanny]

Nuts can cause bloating. Dairy by accident can flair up skin issues. But then, so can nuts.

I know you said you're using the meal template and getting enough fat, but the only way for us to give you directed advice on your energy levels/moods etc are for you to post a few days of intake (include portion sizes, veggie types) and fluids, exercise, sleep, stress etc.

Are you eating a serving of starchy veggie each day? How much water are you drinking? Are you salting your food?

There's a zillion reasons that something could be going sideways, give us something to work with and we'll try and help.  

[Angie W]

I'm drinking 80 oz of water a day.

No exercise--I have 2 herniated lumbar discs.  But I'm a mom of 3--I move around a lot. 

Meals, here is yesterday:

Breakfast:  a bowl full of cauliflower-sausage casserole, with extra shredded chicken on top, 1/2 avocado, 2 cups of black coffee (Maybe a few raspberries--I don't recall but usually have some berries for breakfast.)

Lunch:  3-4 oz. of salmon cooked in olive oil, bowl of gazpacho (from the Whole30 book) topped wth 1/2 avocado

Snack:  hard-boiled egg, handful of almonds, pumpkin seeds, and raisins (I know, not the best combination)

Dinner:  chicken-brussel sprout bake (I had an entire breast and lots of brussel sprouts), green salad, handful of olives

I sometimes have a flavored seltzer, but yesterday only plain water.

I've had the cauliflower-sausage casserole every morning for breakfast, with either some extra chicken or a hard-boiled egg on top and avocado. (Last week I ate Melissa's chicken hash for breakfast.)  For variety I have 3 eggs, scrambled with lots of veggies and baby spinach, more olives or avocado.

Lunch is usually protein salad (from the Whole30 book), on top of a bed of romaine, with avocado or olives.

I've had a few sweet potatoes, no white ones yet. 

I'm sleeping about 7 hours a night, when I need 8.  I go to bed around 9 and the alarm goes off at 5 am--I've been waking up at 4 am lately and not really going back to sleep before the alarm goes off. 

My rosacea was noticeably better by about Day 9, then it got suddenly worse.    My stomach was also flatter and is bloated again.   

I am generally healthy (except for my lumbar spine). 

 

[ladyshanny]

It's not possible to tell from your write up what some of your portion sizes are. The fact that you are snacking between lunch and dinner leads me to believe you are not eating enough at your meals in order to keep you going. Lack of adequate nutrition would be a cause for lower energy (ie, no tiger blood). How does 3-4 oz of salmon relate to the size of your palm? How much sausage is in the sausage/cauliflower casserole?

Cauliflower is a major contributor to belly bloat for a lot of people (me included). Try avoiding cruciferous veggies for a few days and see how you do? As mentioned, the nuts and seeds are also digestively distressing and can cause skin issues. Make your meals larger so you don't need to snack and cut off the nuts/seeds for awhile.

[Angie W]

Huh.  Cauliflower.  I should have known that.  I have eaten it every morning for breakfast this week, plus I made cauliflower rice on Saturday.  I ate all of the leftovers, since no one else cared for it.  That's probably 400% more cauliflower than normal.

I am eating 1-2 palm-sized portions of protein per meal (which is why I added eggs or chicken to each casserole meal).  I am eating until I am stuffed, I cannot eat more.

I will eliminate cauliflower, and nuts, just in case.  Thanks!