Eating enough - want to succeed this time

[trenee17]

OK so I have attempted Whole 30 3 times now and I have quit each time. The longest I have made it was to day 12. My problem was first of all, I hadn't read the book. Second, I was hungry ALL THE TIME! 

So this time around I have read the book and I understand a lot more about why I am doing this, besides wanting to lose some weight. I am excited to be as healthy as I can be. That being said, I want to make sure that I am eating enough. I am on day 4 and I notice that I am satisfied, but not full after meals, and I am usually pretty hungry before a meal. I am used to eating to the point of being stuffed and then I go longer between meals. So here was what I ate yesterday. Does it seem like I am on the right track? I really don't want to give up this time. 

Breakfast - sweet potato hash (sweet potatoes, compliant apple chicken sausage, cooked in EVOO and Ghee) with a fried egg on top, handful of almonds

Lunch - Pork loin chop (large enough that I had a hard time finishing), and a grilled artichoke (with EVOO and garlic) dipped in compliant mayo, and a nectarine

Dinner - Chicken meatballs from the book and roasted Brussels sprouts 

 

What do you guys think? 

 

Thanks! 

[FitAndFabForever]

Hi. I just finished my first Whole30 and previously a similar eating plan before that as well, so I'm not an expert, but I've read a lot and did okay and can share some things, so here's my take:

I think you are off to a good start. Especially making sure you are eating enough. It can be counter-intuitive in that to do Whole30 'well' one needs to eat more. ie. More vegetables, more proteins/meats, more healthy fat. And have them at every single meal or rare snack aka mini-meal.

I think your breakfast has potential. I see healthy fat (nuts, ghee), protein (egg and sausage), and starchy carb (sweet potato)., What's missing is a non-starchy vegetable. Throw in some chopped zucchini, red bell pepper and mushrooms. Or frozen spinach and tomato on your egg, or any veggies you like or are willing to try. Even broccoli, cabbage, kale, carrots, etc.   Don't hold back.The veggies should be abundantly filling your plate (1-2 cups if possible). They'll give you nutrients and also energy. The fiber will fill you up. So will the healthy fat. Don't skimp  on the fat. I love avocados, so many of my meals have half an avocado. The food is SO delicious and nutritious when you cook for color too. (Greens, beige/browns, and bright colors like purple/orange/reds. The bright colors add beauty and often sweetness to the plate).

Regarding protein, the guideline is to have enough to fit the size of the palm of your hand.  So if the egg in its shell and the sausage together would fit the thickness and width of your palm you have enough. If you have a small hand they might fit. If you have a large hand I think you could add another egg or sausage. An average hand holds 3 eggs. For more on this see the guidelines here. https://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-meal-planning.pdf

Just a tip if this Whole30 is really something you want success in. I paid $14.95 for their 30 daily emails. These were unbelievably helpful. Full of info- newsletters really. And entertaining. Posting to the forum as you've done is a fabulous move and will keep you going when all else fails. But I think what helped me most was reading "It Starts With Food" by Melissa and Dallas Hartwig. "The Whole30"  book also has simple, do-able recipes and lots of tips and FAQ's answered. I'd jump in, go deep and use whatever resources you feel are comfortable for you to use. These books are now in many libraries so if you are on a tight budget, save the bucks for the food and borrow the books.

Also I personally suggest to approach the Whole30 as more than a weight loss plan. It's not. It's a healthy-eating, break-bad-eating-habits, break-sugar-cravings, feel-fabulous-and-energetic, discover-your-food-issues....plan. The weight loss is a wonderful side benefit. I didn't have much weight to lose and  yet still lost weight, eating plenty of food. More importantly for me, I lost inches. My waist is finally back!, my jeans are almost falling off. But I ate till I was full. I thought I was eating too much at one point, but the forum moderators said I was doing fine. Which I was.  Just make that plate overflow with healthy protein, your favorite non-starchy veggies and fats, and your taste buds will thank you.  And you'll make it through.

Here's a link to the 30 days process timeline that is entertaining and might be helpful when having bad days. The emails also help with this, though my process didn't follow this. https://whole30.com/2013/08/revised-timeline/

I hope some of this is helpful.  Keep posting  and asking.

Best wishes. Stay strong. You can do this.

 

 

[ArtFossil]

8 minutes ago, FitAndFabForever said:

Hi. I just finished my first Whole30 and previously a similar eating plan before that as well, so I'm not an expert, but I've read a lot and did okay and can share some things, so here's my take:

I think you are off to a good start. Especially making sure you are eating enough. It can be counter-intuitive in that to do Whole30 'well' one needs to eat more. ie. More vegetables, more proteins/meats, more healthy fat. And have them at every single meal or rare snack aka mini-meal.

I think your breakfast has potential. I see healthy fat (nuts, ghee), protein (egg and sausage), and starchy carb (sweet potato)., What's missing is a non-starchy vegetable. Throw in some chopped zucchini, red bell pepper and mushrooms. Or frozen spinach and tomato on your egg, or any veggies you like or are willing to try. Even broccoli, cabbage, kale, carrots, etc.   Don't hold back.The veggies should be abundantly filling your plate (1-2 cups if possible). They'll give you nutrients and also energy. The fiber will fill you up. So will the healthy fat. Don't skimp  on the fat. I love avocados, so many of my meals have half an avocado. The food is SO delicious and nutritious when you cook for color too. (Greens, beige/browns, and bright colors like purple/orange/reds. The bright colors add beauty and often sweetness to the plate).

Regarding protein, the guideline is to have enough to fit the size of the palm of your hand.  So if the egg in its shell and the sausage together would fit the thickness and width of your palm you have enough. If you have a small hand they might fit. If you have a large hand I think you could add another egg or sausage. An average hand holds 3 eggs. For more on this see the guidelines here. https://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-meal-planning.pdf

Just a tip if this Whole30 is really something you want success in. I paid $14.95 for their 30 daily emails. These were unbelievably helpful. Full of info- newsletters really. And entertaining. Posting to the forum as you've done is a fabulous move and will keep you going when all else fails. But I think what helped me most was reading "It Starts With Food" by Melissa and Dallas Hartwig. "The Whole30"  book also has simple, do-able recipes and lots of tips and FAQ's answered. I'd jump in, go deep and use whatever resources you feel are comfortable for you to use. These books are now in many libraries so if you are on a tight budget, save the bucks for the food and borrow the books.

Also I personally suggest to approach the Whole30 as more than a weight loss plan. It's not. It's a healthy-eating, break-bad-eating-habits, break-sugar-cravings, feel-fabulous-and-energetic, discover-your-food-issues....plan. The weight loss is a wonderful side benefit. I didn't have much weight to lose and  yet still lost weight, eating plenty of food. More importantly for me, I lost inches. My waist is finally back!, my jeans are almost falling off. But I ate till I was full. I thought I was eating too much at one point, but the forum moderators said I was doing fine. Which I was.  Just make that plate overflow with healthy protein, your favorite non-starchy veggies and fats, and your taste buds will thank you.  And you'll make it through.

Here's a link to the 30 days process timeline that is entertaining and might be helpful when having bad days. The emails also help with this, though my process didn't follow this. https://whole30.com/2013/08/revised-timeline/

I hope some of this is helpful.  Keep posting  and asking.

Best wishes. Stay strong. You can do this.

 

 

@FitAndFabForeverhas great advice! Just one note: eggs alone are as many as you can hold in your hand (generally 3-4); other proteins are 1 to 2 palms. And the template is the minimum for an adult human. Veggies are 1-3 cups, I.e. FILL your plate. 

It is really important to eat breakfast within an hour of waking to regulate your hormones..

When people struggle on Whole30 they often aren't eating enough OR are eating too many nuts (hard to digest and a poorer fat source and should be limited to a closed handful--that's not very many!--no more than every other day or so) OR are snacking on fruit and/or nuts and/or nut butters. 

[FitAndFabForever]

Art Fossil, thank you SO much for those clarifications. I'm on the slender side, but my 6 foot tall, sixteen year old eats a lot and for a minute there I was worried about how to feed him with just a palm-ful of protein. He was still hungry  after dinner one day, and ate the rest of the ground turkey/mixed veggie I'd cooked for two large meals! (And he gets his with rice, which I don't).

I'll note your tips for him, moving forward. Very much appreciated.