2nd Whole30 and still hungry

[fil.poblano]

Hi!  My wife encouraged me to get on board with her on her second round of Whole30.  She saw good results - weight loss, skin improvements, decrease in allergies, and more. I was very happy for her, so I started with her my first round as she eagerly went on to her second round.

I post this because I'm a bit confused as to why I've been so hungry so often and seen so few results. I'm now on my second round through the Whole30 primarily because the food is just so amazing and my wife is sold on the whole thing!  I've struggled with Pre-diabetes, High Blood pressure, High Cholesterol and that sort of thing for quite some time, as well as some kind of intestinal problem that we haven't been able to figure out.  I finally managed to get most of that under better control after losing 40 lbs through diet and exercise.  

During the first Whole 30 I was always hungry - literally!  These weren't just cravings or boredom - pain in my stomach!  The only time I wasn't hungry was when I was eating. The food was amazing and I think there was only one recipe that we weren't keen on.  The final week of the first round I added significantly more veggies and healthy fat and the hunger was less but I was still hungry a couple hours after each meal, but I felt so bloated having eaten so much!  I did have some positive results after the first round - clothes felt better, slept better, less fogginess, no cravings for dairy to name a few.  On the downside, I only lost 1lb, yes, only one!  That was a huge let down for me after having lost so much just months earlier. I lost a little around the measurements as well but nothing to boast about - like 1/4 " and some were the same. It was a huge downer after reading about so many huge results from others. I know there may have been some muscle gain, but wow was I disappointed!  My blood sugars had barely moved - almost the same as before I started. My intestinal issues had improved but I'm chalking that up to some probiotics and intestinal wall supplements I've been taking and cutting out pretty much all starchy carbs (potatoes, sweet potatoes, cucumber, and very few carrots, etc.), under doctor's recommendation. 

Now on my 2nd round through Whole30 on week 3 and I haven't  been quite so hungry but when it hits, it hits hard!  I thought, you know, give it a second chance because maybe my hormones are all out of wack and it's going to take way more time.  I'm feeling that something is wrong because my wife is never hungry and I can hardly wait to get some food on my plate, sometimes I'm so hungry I eat way too fast and end up feeling super bloated!  I'm noticing my blood sugars are very slowly coming down and my clothes are fitting looser.  I am very consistent doing exercise as well, so I thought that might really help with the program, but I'm just feeling tired a lot of the time during the day. Pretty sure I've never experienced the "Oh! I've got so much energy!" thing feeling. 

Here's a sample day:

Breakfast:  3-4 eggs fried in coconut oil, 1/2 an avocado, 1/2 a plate of raw veggies (jicama, carrots, celery, cabbage), romaine lettuce leaves, a mandarin and black coffee at the end

Lunch:  - about 2 cups of protein salad (tuna/chicken/pork) stuffed with veggies like peppers, celery, jalapeños, cabbage, onion and avocado mayo on lettuce leaves or cabbage, a sm. banana

Dinner:  Salmon fillet, 1/2 a plate of green beans or broccoli, good scoop of cauliflower mash, 4-6 large green olives, 1/2 cup berries with 2-3 Tbsp of coconut milk

Water: usually 3-4 Liters

Exercise 4-5 days/week:  10-15 min walking warm-up, 30 min weights, 60 min walking and/or 30 min run/spinning 

Thoughts?!

 

 

[ShannonM816]

What stands out to me is that you're listing a lot of raw vegetables, which are more likely to cause bloating in many people. Cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, and broccoli also cause bloating for many people. For a few days, maybe try all cooked vegetables and limiting the cruciferous vegetables to not more than once a day and see if that helps the bloating. 

As far as feeling hungry, try adding a fist-sized serving of starchy vegetables like potato, sweet potato, winter squash (butternut, acorn, kabocha or similar squashes), or plantain each day, assuming they don't negatively impact your blood sugar. They can be more filling than some other vegetables. Adding more fat, especially as sauces or dips, can be a way to make meals more calorie dense without increasing the volume of food. 

[fil.poblano]

Ok, thanks. I'm trying to do different things to help. We can't get squash were we live here in Mexico - only available in the fall here for a short season. I can't seem to digest starchy veggies like potato/sweet potato and plantain seems to have the same affect on my intestines. I prefer my food without much sauce but I'll try to add more to get good fat source too.  Thanks.