struggling

[JenniferL21]

Hello all,

It's not like me to be reaching out to a community for help, but struggling here and dont want to give up... actually want to make this a lifestyle.

I've been on whole30 for 2 weeks now and the scale is going up and down by 2 pounds almost day to day. I started whole30 to lose weight and get and stay healthy.

I am learning about my associations and bad habits with food.  I've also cut out half n half and artificial sweetener from my daily routine. So I'm very pleased there if for nothing else that's huge for me. 

However, really want to lose weight. Am I eating too much fruit? I find I snack on that most. Also helps when I'm craving something sweet. My other food groups are fine, I'm not eating more then usual, perhaps not getting enough protein with every meal? I do snack and sometimes have the Lara Bar cashew cookie bars for a meal replacement. I'm not a big fan of having to make breakfast in the morning if it isnt quick and use to eat yogurt with fruit and granola. Really missing my breakfast!

Thanks in advance for sharing with me any thing you think would be helpful.

Signed,

Determined. 

[ShannonM816]

Don't weigh yourself. It's right there in the rules. Weight fluctuates daily, and even throughout the day. Work on being healthy, the weight will follow.

I know breakfast can be a pain, but really try to embrace eating three big meals a day. Drop the Larabars, eat lots of vegetables, like 2-3 cups at every meal, eat a palm-sized serving or two of protein at each meal,  add a fat serving or two to each meal. 

Try soup for breakfast. It's not sweet, but you can make it ahead, it is warm and comforting, and it can help keep you satisfied until lunch time.

[Jihanna]

I agree with ditching the Larabars (and anything else like them) -- they're the closest thing to candy bars that we can have on Whole30, and it's really not healthy to have the habit of grabbing one for a meal replacement. In my own head, I compare it to grabbing a Snickers bar when I'm hungry... sure, the commercials make it sound like a great idea to feed the Hangry with a candy bar, but I know beyond doubt that what I really need is food, so what I'm really feeding with that bar (the candy bar OR the Larabar) is my sugar dragon.

If you've found yourself handling sugar cravings with fruit, I'd cut the fruit as well. Fruit is naturally sweet, which is why a sugar dragon will accept it in place of candy or sweet drinks if that's all you're willing to feed it... but feeding it is still what's happening. If you really want to break those cravings and be able to form healthier food habits, you'll need to starve that dragon into submission, and that means skipping foods that feed it. Also beware the trickiness of the sugar dragon -- I warn only because my own starving dragon will resort to salty/crunchy cravings in hopes I'll put myself on a slippery slope of mindless snacking that will eventually lead to the sweet stuff.

In my own experience, I found that I have to skip out on the fruits (including fresh, dried, juices, and using dates to make foods sweeter) for at least the first week or two, after which I can start testing out fruits eating WITH my meal to make sure I'm past the cravings. When I can look at fruit and see it as a flavor-enhancer for my meal (like berries on a salad or apples cooked with my pork chops) rather than a reward for me "eating right" or a way to get myself through to dinner, then I know my dragon is peacefully slumbering and I can enjoy my food without fear of waking it.

[slc_melissa]

Agree with everything above, also anytime someone says "I'm eating enough of x food group", like 90% time they're not, especially on plated fat.  Really take a look at the meal template and make sure you're matching.  Also, on leafy green vegetables, if you're measuring cups, it's the compressed greens, not a loose handful, so you really need a lot of them.  If you're eating fruit, try to only eat it with a meal, but at the end if you're still hungry.