How can I eat more?

[Jessica Reagan]

The end of Day 4 here.

I am having a really hard time eating 3 meals or even enough at the meals I do eat. I usually have 1 to 3 cups of coffee in the mornings and just sip on that. I try to have lunch in the afternoon, I work from 4-10p and I may have a snack like walnuts and almonds, but only a handful, and green tea. Sometimes I have "dinner" when I get off work, but just as often I don't. I wish I could have eggs for breakfast, I make them for the kids every morning, but I'm allergic. Today I tried eating leftover taco meat and veggies/avocado this morning, only got through a small portion because it made my stomach upset. That lasted a little over an hour. I didn't think about eating most of the day because I was busy. I work 5 days a week for about 6 hours as a bartender, I have 2 kids, 1 and 6. I'm constantly cleaning or cooking, or playing or working. For dinner I baked chicken tenderloins, broccoli, and red bell peppers tossed in olive oil. I ate a good healthy amount of dinner. I also made kale chips, but my son hogged most of them. I'm not hungry to eat more, but I know I'm supposed to be eating more, I'm just struggling with making myself eat when I'm not hungry.

Reading through the forums I don't feel like I have the same relationship with food that most others seem to have. I don't ever have to have a food. Having a banana doesn't send me into a tailspin of wanting sweet things. I do enjoy eating and I love to cook and try new recipes to share with my friends and family. I also love eating food that has really high nutrients. I try to eat a rainbow of things throughout my days and weeks. I love researching and finding out what nutrients kale or garlic or kiwi have, and their health benefits. That's what excites me. I'm just having a hard time eating when I'm not hungry, even though I know I'm suppose to be eating 3 good meals a day. Any advice?

[Kirsteen]

I found breakfast the most difficult when I started. I hadn't eaten breakfast for over 40 years I was like you coffee in the morning was all I had or wanted, i used to feel sick if I ate anything. However, as W30 says, coffee is an appetite supressent. The book suggests having your breakfast before your coffee. I'm afraid I've never managed that but I do only have one coffee now, and the past 2 mornings I've actually been so hungry I've made breakfast while still drinking that coffee. If you stick with it, it will get better. At the beginning I probably had a smaller breakfast than recommended but at least it was a start. Try to find one or two things you really like. I found chicken wrapped in lettuce and dipped in mayo or sweet potato and sausagemeat hash were my favourites. Neither was a full meal template but I built up from there. I also find having breakfast seems to make the rest of the day's eating fall into place much easier. Good luck

[B1121]

What she said

As Kirsteen said, coffee will suppress any hunger or appetite. If I was sipping on it all morning, I don't think I could eat a thing.

In fact, like you and Kirsteen I used to be a coffee only girl. Never ate before 10-11am, sometimes later.

When starting on the whole30 I followed the suggestion to eat first, then have coffee. Had smaller meals initially but they got bigger pretty quickly and within a few days I woke up hungry.

Over time I relaxed a bit about the breakfast before coffee thing, but I noticed the last couple of days if I finish my coffee before I start eating, breakfast does not sit real well with me.

My advice would be to try and fix the breakfast issue first. I too think that the rest will sort itself out then.

PS.: As for your relationship with food, I am very similar, only that I don't like cooking. Oh, and I have trouble getting enough food in, too, but for different reasons.

I wish you success on your journey!

[Jessica Reagan]

Thanks for the suggestions. I will try eating prior to starting on the coffee even though that just sounds awful! I do want better habits so that seems like a good first step. I also have found in the past as well that I do tend to be more hungry when I eat breakfast so you may be right about breakfast helping things along. Does anyone think that I may be able to reintroduce eggs after I clean my gut up? I would so love to have them again.