It seemed easy...At first :(

[rrollins]

Hello All! This is my very first post ever! I am on Day 3 of the whole30 program, and I am struggling. I need more ideas of foods\meals to eat! So far I have felt constantly hungry, and headaches. I am wanting to cave.. Here are some of the foods I have been eating. They sound filling when I list them out, but when I am eating them, not so much. For example this morning I had a banana, orange, 3 eggs, and a handful of cashews. And I was STILL hungry. Thats about 600 cals worth of stuff! So whats the trick to feel full? Also, I feel like I am overloading on meats and cholesterol filled foods. HELP!

Bananna

Orange

Strawberries

Watermelon

Grapes

Eggs

Sweet Potatoes

Cashews

Raisens

Lean Hamburger Meat

Chicken

Brocolli

Onions

Red Peppers

Green Peppers

Cauliflower

[Zoodles]

The first week or so can be rough while your body adjusts to a whole new way of eating and different energy sources to the usual easy peasy carbs it was used to, so feeling ravenous at first is not unusual!

But looking at your breakfast, that's a lot of fruit in one hit. I find fruit does nothing to fill me up, in fact it usually makes me crave more food. Also your breakfast looks a bit light on the veggies, as in, there aren't any Are you following the meal template of 1-2 palms of protein, 1-2 thumbs fat and filling up the rest of your plate with vegs? Try that first, it should help.

Otherwise, just try to ride it out, things should settle down in a little while. In the meantime, if you're hungry - eat!

[Moluv]

The short answer is more protein and fat and swap each piece fruit for a vegetable. Trade the nuts for eggs or meat. Your body is crying out for more nutrients, let it have them.

[Moluv]

Didn't see zoodle's post before I added mine, so basically, yes do what she said!

[Krista Billows Rodriguez]

I cannot overstress the importance of vegetables, particularly green veggies, in helping me feel full and satisfied. My typical breakfast includes kale, sweet potato, onion, mushroom and any other left over veg heated in a pan with coconut oil, ground meat and at least two eggs. This will typically keep me full and satisfied from 6:30 am until 1:00 pm.

As far as fruit goes, I really have to watch myself there. I loooooove fruit, could happily eat it morning, noon & night, but it stokes my sugar dragon and I find myself snacking more. Just last night I realized I had to go to bed or I would end up raiding the cabinets and it was not because I was hungry, I just wanted to eat!

I'd suggest rereading the meal template and taking a good hard look at your meals over the last few days and seeing where they've fit and where they haven't. You're eating complaint foods, so take comfort in that, with a few adjustments and some time your body will be running like a well oiled machine in no time!

[Carlaccini]

Hi There! Welcome!!!

Up your veggie intake in the morning. I know, I know veggies didn't appeal to me in the morning either. But it makes a difference. Also up your fat intake - it keeps you full.

I will give you an example of something. Very often when I am on the whole 30 I will have an omelet (2 eggs, some coconut milk, sauted onions, with spinach and sundried tomatoes) + a small fruit salad (think strawberries, blackberries, pineapple or any variation of) I am fully satisfied after this meal.

When I was off plan I decided to make myself a "sweet" omelete (Mashed banana, blue berries, spinkled with cinamon) and I couldn't believe how hungry I was at 10:30 (meal 1 was at 8am) crazy right? I mean I was still having protein. Well the fruit in the omelete didn't take long to burn and therefore I was hungry. So do swap some of that fruit for veg and you should be better.

[Tom Denham]

Reading It Starts With Food makes doing a Whole30 easier because it explains some important things like how your body needs protein and fat to be satisfied and explodes the myth that eating foods that contain cholesterol makes your blood levels of cholesterol rise meaningfully. Really, you can safely eat eggs and red meat every day. Actually, you can eat eggs and red meat every day and become healthier for it.

As to being hungry after the breakfast you ate, I have two ideas. One is that the fruit you ate was a strong dose of sugar and that caused a swing in your blood sugar that left you feeling hungry. That is my best idea. The second idea is based upon my own weird personal experience. You ate cashews at breakfast. Cashews carry a nice dose of fat, which should make you feel full, but I feel hungry when I eat nuts. I don't know why, but if I snack on nuts, I crave more nuts or more food in general. They don't effectively take the edge off hunger for me. They light me up. I think it is kind of weird, but that is what happens with me.

You mention your concerns that you ate about 600 calories at breakfast. Stop worrying about calories and follow the meal template. http://whole9life.com/book/ISWF-Meal-Planning-Template.pdf The meal template is designed to have you eating the proper amount of food to nourish your body, support your activity levels, and help you lose weight if you need to lose weight. Eating less than meal template guidelines often has negative consequences both in terms of health, comfort, and often weight loss.

You might be hungry for a while as you eat Whole30 foods if you have been eating very differently because you may be malnourished. Many people are not adequately nourished even when they are overweight because they have not been eating what their bodies need. That means you need to eat until your body is satisfied. Don't be stingy with feeding your body.

[Terez]

What all of them said!!! When I was on the Whole30, I limited fruit to one serving a day. That way I wasn't depriving myself (I was having fruit every day) but I wasn't going overboard.

But before the fruit came the vegetables. LOTS of vegetables. And fat. And animal protein (at least 3 eggs at one meal, then a serving of meat at all the other meals).

And...that's the meal template.

Not to hammer you here. Just to assure you this isn't just what one or two or three people are suggesting...

You're going to LOVE this when you get the hang of it.

Terez

P.S. Interestingly, now that I'm post-Whole30, I don't have fruit every day anymore. It somehow was more important to me while I was on the program. Kind of a legal treat, I guess.

[Zoodles]

Cashews carry a nice dose of fat, which should make you feel full, but I feel hungry when I eat nuts. I don't know why, but if I snack on nuts, I crave more nuts or more food in general. They don't effectively take the edge off hunger for me. They light me up. I think it is kind of weird, but that is what happens with me.

Me too - what's with that? Stoopid nuts.

[rrollins]

Thanks for all the wonderful replies! Love the support here I am going to look into buying the book, and checking out the meal template. I made it through yesterday, it was rough. Today is day 4 and its going better. I made a huge roast for dinner, brocolli and sweet potato. Left overs for lunch! Another quick question, a friend of mine gets raw milk, he was going to make butter off the milk, can I have that? TIA!

[Guest]

Clarified butter is a great source of fat. Our fats need to come from pastured and organic milk during a Whole30. Instructions for making clarified butter can be found at http://whole9life.com/2011/10/butter/ . I mistakenly bought butter that was pastured, but not organic, so I made it into ghee to keep for later.

So happy to hear that it is going better. Your experience sounded a lot like what happened at our house in the beginning. There was hunger from fear of calories, fat and cholesterol. It is so liberating to take a second look at those fears and feel satisfied from our meals.

[megmac]

DEFINITELY get the book and read it cover to cover. Don't skip the scienc-y stuff. I struggled with the change in mindset also-and could tell by your comments about cholesterol and calories that you are there, too. Take everything you think you know about eating and put it aside. At least for these 30 days. It really works, but it goes against everything we thought we knew from years of preaching about the SAD diet and traditional food pyramid. I promise-once your head gets on board and really BELIEVES that this is the answer, it will work.

And you will feel GREAT. Just stick with it!

[rrollins]

Okay, I just watched the clarified butter video, can I just buy butter from the store and clarify it? As long as the only ingredient is butter? Thanks again, sorry for all the questions. :| I promise I will read the book!

[Guest]

We haven't found butter that is both organic and pastured yet. Dallas and Melissa recommend a ghee (very similar to clarified butter) source online. I wish I has ordered it in week one and I would have it now in week 5. It is from Pure Indian Foods.

In the meantime, I have been loving coconut oil and my body seems to love it, too.

I also recommend the daily e-mails. They really seem to find me where I am struggling each morning.

[Terez]

Okay, I just watched the clarified butter video, can I just buy butter from the store and clarify it? As long as the only ingredient is butter? Thanks again, sorry for all the questions. :| I promise I will read the book!

It is better to use organic and grass-fed but my understanding is that you can use regular butter if the grassfed/organic is out of your price range or not available where you live. [if I'm mistaken, I'm sure a moderator will correct this.]

If you have a Costco near you, many of them carry Kerrygold butter (grass-fed) at an excellent price. It's sold by the fancy cheeses, not with the regular butter. (Some folks don't like ghee from salted butter but it tastes fine to me.)

Terez

[simonec]

if you want food /meal ideas check out other people's logs...i find that to be rewarding, inspiring and i get tons of ideas for a. foods i already know how to make. but hadn't thought of making or b. recipes to look up.

[Kim Christensen]

You do the best with what you can afford. So if regular butter is it, make ghee from that.

And template, template, template. Hands down I think it is the most important part of this and with new whole30ers, it seems its the most underutilized part. My hunger, cravings, hormone, were all put in check during my W30 due to being true to the template. Protein and VEGGIES with every meal. Occasional fruit with your veggies. For ME occasional had to be once or twice a week tops. But others do great wi more. My sugar dragon was too strong for that. Template, template, template.

[Fenderbender]

Eggs...(and especially pastured local farm eggs), avocado,EVOO, and coconut milk really fills me to the brim and satisfies.

Now is a great time to be daring with your vegetable choices. Try to eat a big variety in every meal and every day: kale,brussel sprouts,beets,Arugala,chard,bok choy,endives,escarole, collards,all kinds of peppers,spinach,jicama,mustard greens.....The list goes on

I personally eat 2-3 cups veg per meal and that's the trick.... I can live with out the starchy veg and fruit even though I train at a competitive level,as long as I get in my protein,fat and veg,veg,veg. ( I do eat sweet potato post intense workout)

[Guest]

Eggs...(and especially pastured local farm eggs), avocado,EVOO, and coconut milk really fills me to the brim and satisfies.

Now is a great time to be daring with your vegetable choices. Try to eat a big variety in every meal and every day: kale,brussel sprouts,beets,Arugala,chard,bok choy,endives,escarole, collards,all kinds of peppers,spinach,jicama,mustard greens.....The list goes on

I personally eat 2-3 cups veg per meal and that's the trick.... I can live with out the starchy veg and fruit even though I train at a competitive level,as long as I get in my protein,fat and veg,veg,veg. ( I do eat sweet potato post intense workout)

I totally agree. I took the shopping list in my first weeks and tried to use as many of the veggies (especially the "best" ones) as I could in my cooking. With breakfast, I started with things that would normally be found in omelettes and fritattas like spinach, mushroom, peppers, tomatoes, etc. I matched those with meats that are common at breakfast like steak, shrimp, and salmon. These days, pretty much anything goes and I have enjoyed the new flavors and a few flavors I haven't had in years!