Advice after Week 1

[vetgirl]

Hello all, 

I have just completed week 1 (yay!). My body has been following the timeline pretty much spot on. Some concerns that have arisen for me in the last week and things I'd like advice on if you are willing. I have a lot of questions, and I'm compiling them into one post instead of posting a bunch of extra ones. I don't currently have a Whole30 buddy, so I'm relying on the website and books to get me through. These are my findings through this week: 

1.) Protein. I was mostly vegetarian (though eating like crap...proving that a vegetarian lifestyle doesn't equal healthier) before starting this and now I am incorporating chicken and pork into my diet (I'm trying to learn to like seafood and I can't eat red meat). What are some tips you guys have on making sure you get adequate protein at each meal (I know the chart and everything, but I'm still struggling to get it all on the plate)? My main struggle has been lunch--will put meals and stuff at the bottom of this post. 

2.) I feel like I'm obsessing a little, which I know is normal, but I've been a little overboard. I have some anxiety issues around food, and though the foods I have been eating are Whole30 compliant, they aren't ideal (such as nuts and fruit). I love veggies, but I am having a hard time making sure I get enough of them. I am trying to stay away from potatoes except maybe once or twice a week. My main challenge has been breakfast (see below where I list meals). But as far as the anxiety goes, I've been treating nuts and fruit when I eat them as if I've screwed up my entire Whole30 experience because I ate them. 

3.) I work VERY long days. I get up at 5am (or 5:12 or 5:36...depending on that snooze button...), get to work at 7am, work until 8pm with a lunch break (though sometimes I don't get a lunch break if things get hectic). I'm trying to figure out how to schedule my meals. I haven't had much of an appetite the last 2 days, but I've been trying to make sure I eat. My main issue is that when I get home soon after 8, I'm not hungry at all and just need to go to bed by 9 to get enough sleep to do it all over again the next day. I am very active at work, and the day is always unpredictable, so there may be days when I can eat at 6am, 12pm, and 6pm, but not always (I work in an emergency vet clinic for reference). Anyone have advice on how to navigate that? I am taking the meal prep route for my meals so that's not an issue--just the time I eat and the appetite. 

4.) Sort of part of #3, but I know that if you are active or have long days, you can eat more than 3 meals, but not snacks. I am confused about how this works. Would I have 3 big meals and 2 small meals? And what would those 2 small meals look like? I've been eating compliant trail mix, hard boiled eggs, or raw almonds, but I know that's not ideal and knowing that snacks are "forbidden" is contributing a little to my anxiousness. 

 

So this past week, like I said, I meal planned. Prepped things in advance and stuffed it all in the fridge so it's ready to eat when I am--with the exception of breakfast. 

Breakfast: eggs all different ways (fried, scrambled plain, scrambled with veggies, omelette, hard boiled, etc). Occasionally some compliant pre packaged chicken sausage. Would usually have a banana with breakfast. Also made sweet potato hash browns when I had the time. 

Lunch: Harvest grilled chicken salad (recipe from the Whole30 guidebook). Struggled to get enough chicken with this. Also would sometimes have a Mexican Tuna Boat (from book as well), but still adjusting to seafood and had a hard time choking this down sometimes. 

Dinners: Either chicken stir fry or chicken cacciatore (from book). The cacciatore would have a drumstick and thigh in each serving. 

Snacks: Again, I know snacks are not ideal, but I ate nuts and trail mix. Tried to not eat fruit as a snack. 

 

I found I wasn't entirely satisfied with the dinners, so that's something I am going to work on this upcoming week, but any advice you have is much appreciated! I am very determined to do this and do it right, but I've never done anything like this before and going at it alone makes it difficult to navigate at times. I have 3 more weeks left, so I just want to do the last 3 weeks right! Thanks for listening :-) 

[slc_melissa]

Are you eating any fat?  You don't list any at all.  (Except nuts, which aren't recommended more than a closed handful every other day-ish.)  Olives?  Coconut?  Avocado?  

How many eggs are you eating for breakfast?  If they are the only protein source, it's as many as you can hold in your hand.....usually at least 3-4 for women.  Why not pre-prepare some breakfast?  Egg muffins with veggies are popular.

Not having an appetite can be a sign of messed up hormones.....which probably won't start to sort itself out without plating up meals and eating them.

I know some people switching from a vegetarian diet can find soups more palatable, as it makes the meat fairly tender.  

Don't think of snacks, think of mini-meals with all the main components of veggies/fat/protein.  Meatballs made with veggies and a handful of olives.  Salmon cakes with sweet potato in them.  (http://meljoulwan.com/2014/11/10/oven-fried-salmon-cakes/).  Etc.   It's generally thought of as being 4 meals in a day or 3 meals and one mini-meal.

Do you have any absolute favorite meals with chicken/pork/seafood that you find more palatable than others?  Make those as often as you can.  I think curries are great, both because they are delicious but also have a good, easy whack of fat with the coconut milk.

[vetgirl]

I am not eating a lot of fats as food (avocado has been added to a couple of dishes), but I cook with EVOO and coconut oil. Occasionally coconut milk added to my morning breakfast tea. 

I am eating 3-4 eggs (depending on what I pair it with and how hungry I am). I might have to try prepping some breakfast. I've been trying to train myself to get up when my alarm goes off the first time and make something fresh, but for those days when I just can't, it would be nice to have a back up plan...though I've done good this past week. Still, adding variety will help me not reach the food boredom stage too soon, if at all. 

I've been reading a lot about hormones and appetite lately. Very eye opening! It's one of the reasons I started Whole30--trying to correct what I screwed up in the first place. It's going to take a while to adjust, though I think. I've been eating 3 meals a day no matter how hungry I don't feel at one of the meals. I've been also just trying to pay attention to what size meal is right for me. I used to go back and forth between over eating and under eating, so that certainly doesn't help, but I'm looking forward to this learning process to figure out what's best for my body! 

Thank you for the suggestion of mini meals! 

Hmm, I know that I like Asian cooking, so I might have to look up some recipes for that and see if I can either find premade Whole30 ones or see if I can make some compliant by tweaking the ingredients. Thanks for that suggestion as well! 

Thank you for your response! 

[ArtFossil]

11 minutes ago, vetgirl said:

I am not eating a lot of fats as food (avocado has been added to a couple of dishes), but I cook with EVOO and coconut oil. Occasionally coconut milk added to my morning breakfast tea. 

I am eating 3-4 eggs (depending on what I pair it with and how hungry I am). I might have to try prepping some breakfast. I've been trying to train myself to get up when my alarm goes off the first time and make something fresh, but for those days when I just can't, it would be nice to have a back up plan...though I've done good this past week. Still, adding variety will help me not reach the food boredom stage too soon, if at all. 

I've been reading a lot about hormones and appetite lately. Very eye opening! It's one of the reasons I started Whole30--trying to correct what I screwed up in the first place. It's going to take a while to adjust, though I think. I've been eating 3 meals a day no matter how hungry I don't feel at one of the meals. I've been also just trying to pay attention to what size meal is right for me. I used to go back and forth between over eating and under eating, so that certainly doesn't help, but I'm looking forward to this learning process to figure out what's best for my body! 

Thank you for the suggestion of mini meals! 

Hmm, I know that I like Asian cooking, so I might have to look up some recipes for that and see if I can either find premade Whole30 ones or see if I can make some compliant by tweaking the ingredients. Thanks for that suggestion as well! 

Thank you for your response! 

Add the fats! Cooking fats don't generally count. You need theses fats--they will help with your satiety and alertness, help you become fat-adapted and help,you get on a three meal a day schedule. There is a reason fats are one of the three components of the meal template. 

[vetgirl]

9 hours ago, ArtFossil said:

Add the fats! Cooking fats don't generally count. You need theses fats--they will help with your satiety and alertness, help you become fat-adapted and help,you get on a three meal a day schedule. There is a reason fats are one of the three components of the meal template. 

I will definitely have to start adding more fats. I wasn't thinking that my cooking oils counted necessarily, and I haven't purposely avoided fats. Just struggling to find ways to fit it in and make them palatable for me. Thank you for your response! 

I know that cooking oils don't count, but do they count in the form of salad dressings? I have one that I made myself with EVOO and another store bought one that has avocado oil in it. 

[ArtFossil]

3 hours ago, vetgirl said:

I will definitely have to start adding more fats. I wasn't thinking that my cooking oils counted necessarily, and I haven't purposely avoided fats. Just struggling to find ways to fit it in and make them palatable for me. Thank you for your response! 

I know that cooking oils don't count, but do they count in the form of salad dressings? I have one that I made myself with EVOO and another store bought one that has avocado oil in it. 

Salad dressings are a different story, yes. But remember to supplement greens with other vegetables. 

Homemede mayo is a Whole30 staple. So delicious and versatile (can become aeoli or tartar sauce or dump ranch, etc) and I also love clarified butter (ghee). Olives and individual servings of guacamole are easy portable fats. 

[Christa Patterson]

On 5/31/2017 at 10:43 AM, slc_melissa said:

Are you eating any fat?  You don't list any at all.  (Except nuts, which aren't recommended more than a closed handful every other day-ish.)  Olives?  Coconut?  Avocado?  

 

Hello! I found this post on my search of finding methods for long work days but I actually had a question on this piece of advice. What fats do you recommend for someone like me who does not like avocado or olives whatsoever? Right now I just don't like it because they taste so bitter or are tasteless (hoping this works itself out after a few days without sugar). But what would you recommend in the meantime until my taste buds are sorted out? 

[ArtFossil]

10 minutes ago, Christa Patterson said:

Hello! I found this post on my search of finding methods for long work days but I actually had a question on this piece of advice. What fats do you recommend for someone like me who does not like avocado or olives whatsoever? Right now I just don't like it because they taste so bitter or are tasteless (hoping this works itself out after a few days without sugar). But what would you recommend in the meantime until my taste buds are sorted out? 

Homemade mayo can be flavored however you like, can go into tuna salad, deviled eggs etc or become dump ranch dressing. 

[slc_melissa]

Coconut (flakes, cream, butter, milk), fattier cuts of meats, sauces like chimichurri sauce, pesto, dressings, tzatziki sauce.  Do you like olive oil or avocado oil at least?  Plenty of stuff to be made out there.

https://whole30.com/2016/10/best-of-dips-sauces/