Always Hungry

[JenRenee]

I am on week 3, only 6 more days to go!  I feel great and I feel my body changing. However, I am always hungry and I am eating 3-4 meals a day. I also find myself grabbing a (compliant) snack on some days as well.  Is this within the rules; 3-4 meals and an occasional snack?  I am eating large meals and am full when I’m done; however, I’m hungry again only a couple hours later. Is this normal?  I should also mention that I am exercising 6 days a week, alternating 30 minute hard circuit sessions with days of 45 minutes of LISS and booty toning routine. Am I extra hungry because of the activity?  While I haven’t weighed myself, my clothes are feeling better, but I feel as though I should be seeing more of a dramatic change in the mirror. I’m just wondering if I’m eating too much. 

 

[ShannonM816]

If you're hungry, it is unlikely you are eating too much.

On days you exercise, are you having pre- or post-workout food? You woukd have that in addition to your three meals.

Pre-wo, if you're working out first thing in the morning or if it's been several hours since you ate, have protein and fat, or at least one or the other -- whatever works for you, you may have to try a few things to see what sits well and doesn't cause any digestive issues during your workout. If you have eaten a meal within an hour or two before your workout you may not need this.

Post-wo, have a bit of lean protein and some starchy vegetable. Try to have this pretty soon after your workout, say within 15-20 minutes. You can read more about this here:  http://whole9life.com/2015/02/eat-post-workout/

If your meals fill you up initially but you're hungry soon after, there's something off about the composition of them. Often, we find that people are a bit light on fat, and that can lead to them getting hungry faster, because fat is digested more slowly so it can help you stay satisfied longer. If you want more specific feedback, you can list a day or two of typical meals, including approximate portion sizes, and we can see if anything stands out that might help.

[JenRenee]

I wake up at 4am and workout at 5am, so food before I workout isn’t really an option. I eat within 30 minutes after finishing my WO though. A day of eating typically looks like this:

Bkfst:  3 Eggs cooked with Ghee and cherry tomatoes (or leftover ground beef if I have it) followed by a large banana. 

Lunch:  Approx 2 cups of spaghetti squash topped with ground turkey that has been sautéed with olive oil, diced onion and squash. (This is a large bowl that fills me up).  

Snack: cup of black coffee.  Sometimes a few bites of whatever cooked protein I have in the fridge or a handful of macadamia nuts  

Dinner:  Whole 30 cookbook meal.  Favorites have been pulled pork with baked butternut squash and salad; baked chicken thighs with baby potatoes and salad; Sheppard’s pie, etc

Again, my meals are very large - bigger than they have been in a long time.  Can you see where I might be able to make some adjustments?

When my Whole 30 is up, I plan to take a weekend off and then start round two!  I love eating this way and plan to make it a lifestyle!

 

[laura_juggles]

You're pretty low on fat in those meals. Trying to go low fat on a Whole30 will mean that you eat until you're full and then you're hungry again shortly thereafter. Your breakfast is also on the small side (I'm assuming you're not eating whole pints of cherry tomatoes at breakfast). Especially considering you're also using your breakfast as a post-workout meal, maybe throwing some starchy veg in there would help. 

 

[JenRenee]

I’m not intentionally trying to go low fat!  I will definitely try incorporating more fat and starchy carbs. Thank you!

[ultrarunnergirl]

Try adding half an avocado to your Meal 1, a handful of olives or an extra drizzle of olive oil on your lunch, a big dollop of homemade mayo or extra ghee at Meal 3.