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Depressed and no energy


Bpike1

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I don't mean to be a negative nancy here, but I have to be honest.

I started Whole 30 initially after my therapist recommended it.  There have been positives and negatives. The positives are: feeling clearer headed, able to rationalize better, plan better, organize, etc... I have felt a feeling like the fog lifted. Never feeling bloated and stuffed, and also never feeling starving like I have to eat. I can actually go without eating longer, and not feel bad (although I don't do this often as skipping meals is not healthy).

The negatives are: I feel exhuasted. It's like the fog has lifted, but it's lifted and there's nothing behind it. No umph, no feelings of "let's tackle the world." I feel like I'm a more level headed genuine person, but it's like what does that matter if there's no energy behind it. I feel depressed. It's difficult to get out of bed in the morning. And work outs are HARD and PAINFUL.

I have always tended to have symptoms that mimic ADHD with attention and motivational issues, and I feel like this diet has amplified those symptoms. My motivation is about as low as it can go.  There are many articles online describing a diet that is beneficial for people with ADHD. These articles suggest a diet of no sugar, no dairy, but with whole grains: brown rice/whole grain bread/whole grain pasta, and additionally they say to limit the consumption of red meat. In the past, I tried this diet, and found that it did indeed work to increase motivation levels, while at the same time decreasing brain fog (like Whole 30).  I would be interested to hear other people with attention and motivation problems, who tried Whole 30 and their experiences.

I've been feeling these symptoms for basically the whole Whole 30 (I'm 3 1/2 weeks into it) It's like I'm in a perpetual "carb flu" as they call it, and it's not showing any signs of stopping. (and I'm eating lots of vegetable and fruit carbs!)

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Can you provide us with a rundown of what you've been eating in the last three or four days using portions related to the template and specific veggies, fruit, fat and protein.  My suspicion is that you're undereating or your meals are not ideally composed if you're still having low energy this late in the game.  It's worth mentioning tho that if you do have any chemical imbalances such as depression, you might be working an uphill battle to what most people are experiencing... lets take a look at your meals and see tho... 

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Okay. And actually by now it has been the full month on Whole 30, and still experiencing these symptoms. Also, I have lost no weight (I'm about 10lbs over my norm). I don't know how to do the portions listing. If that is very important, can you tell me how to do it?

Yesterday, breakfast: Grilled chicken strips from boneless skinless chicken breasts, kale, scrambled eggs, tomatoes.

Lunch: Leftover chicken, Whole 30 mayo, spinach

Dinner: Grassfed organic steak, spinach, roasted potatoes.

Day before breakfast: Scrambled eggs, roasted red peppers, mushrooms, 1/2 avocado

Lunch: Chipotle pork salad bowl

Dinner: Tuna steak, eggplant, kale, cooked potato.

I will also have the occasional apple/banana/peach throughout the day.

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What we need to know is how much of each thing you're eating... like was it two kale leaves or three steamed cups of kale?  One egg scrambled or three eggs scrambled?  Every second meal you list is missing fat also which, if actually missing or not added in the template quantities is going to play a huge part into you not feeling great.

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Yes, okay. I think the lack of fats could be it, though. But about the fats, what foods is that exactly? Is it just nuts and avocadoes? Does cooking the food in olive oil count? Occasionally, I will have some avocado /nuts as a snack.

breakfast 1: 6 grilled chicken strips. 2 cups steamed kale, 3 scrambled eggs, 4 slices of tomatoes

lunch: Chicken leg and thigh, 3 tablespoons of Whole 30 mayo, 2 cups sauteed spinach (in olive oil)

dinner: steak, 3 cups sauteed spinach, about 2 cups roasted potatoes

breakfast: 3 scrambled eggs, 1 roasted red pepper (chopped), 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms (sauteed), 1/2 avocado

lunch: chipotle pork bowl (double amount of pork) (hard to do quantities of this)

Dinner: 1 tuna steak, 1/2 baked eggplant, 2 cups sauteed kale, 1 large cooked potato

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Okay so ya, if you just add fat to those meals, you're laughing!  They look just about perfect!  Avocado, olives, pesto, mayo, mayo based sauces, salad dressings, ranch dip, coconut products, nuts and seeds, sesame oil... we don't usually count the cooking fat (evoo, avocado oil, lard, tallow, schmaltz, duck fat, ghee) because it gets split up between portions so add at least the minimum on the template for fat and see how you go... you might want to up it substantially to get 'caught up'...

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