Day 3 - can't stop eating, even though I feel full

[Lini May]

So today, I ate:

1st meal (6am): 2 fried eggs, cup broccolli, sliver of avocado

2nd meal (10.30am): 2 fried eggs

3rd meal (2.00pm): cup salad (lettuce & tomato), 3 tablespoons (roughly) ground beef)

4th meal (6.30pm): Asian style chicken thighs, cup salad

I also ate a handful of grapes, and a 1/2 inch thick slice pineapple.

Come 6.00pm I was full, and didn't want to eat anything, but when i served dinner, i couldn't help but eat it.. Does anyone else feel like this??

I was initally eating at 6am, then 12pm, then 6pm.. But it was too far apart, and by the time I got home from work (5pm), I would eat everything i could get my hands on.

Any suggestions?

[kb0426]

Based on what I am seeing here, you are not eating enough. For example, your breakfast should have more protein and at least a full 1/2 an avocado and more broccoli. When it comes to eggs, you should eat as many as you can hold in your hand.

Your 3rd meal - 3 tablespoons of ground beef seems far smaller than a palm sized portion. You could have a lot more salad too!

Are you using the template as a reference for your portion sizes?

http://whole9life.co...ng-Template.pdf

[JJB]

Are you measuring all your food? I would stop doing that. Use the meal template as a guide/starting point, but eat until you are full. I don't think there's any reason to measure/limit vegetables at all either. Also according to the meal list you've given, you are not eating anywhere near enough fat.

[Lini May]

I'm definitely not measuring all my food, I just used these measurements as an indicator rather than just saying "some salad".

ok.. so kb0426 says I'm not eating enough, and JJB says that I should stop when I feel full.. The issue is that I'm already feeling very full, but continue to eat anyway. I guess my problem is that I don't know whether I should be eating more, or stop eating once I feel full (which would mean eating less...). And overall, I'm wondering whether this will "sort itself out" (as I'm only on day 3) or whether i should be mindful of it, and pushing myself for the 3 meals/days (which would mean 6+ hrs between meals) or continue on the 4 meals per day, which if spread over 3 meals, I think is quite a bit of food?

a little confused..

[Physibeth]

It's quite possible your mind is playing tricks on you. If you have been severely calorie restricted for a long time you might not be getting appropriate hunger signals. You say you keep eating. Do you feel stuffed or a continuous of the same full? Your meals are way too small. Try trusting the template not your hunger signals for a while and see what happens. If you need to keep eating despite feeling full your body is telling you it hasn't gotten the nutrients it wants yet.

[kb0426]

In my first few days (really 10) of my first whole30, when I was done I was DONE. You were not going to get me to eat another bite. I was satiated - not stuffed and full - and had no desire to eat more. I think it is the introduction of a lot more fat and protein than I was used to at each meal.

If you are eating to the template and are still hungry, by all means, add in a meal. But, that means following the template there too, incorporating protein, fats and veggies.

[JJB]

Hmm. I did read that you said you were full, but I guess it didn't fully register because your meals seemed so small. Are you used to grazing/eating many small meals a day? I agree with Physibeth. If you can eat a meal that is the size the meal template suggests without feeling totally stuffed/gross, maybe it's best to try to do that and get yourself used to 3 meals a day. There's nothing wrong with eating more meals or snacks sometimes, but maybe your signals are a little crossed right now and it will work itself out in a few weeks of eating template-sized meals.

[notacommittee]

You might feel physically full if your stomach is used to eating that little, but I really doubt you're getting enough nutrients with eating those tiny amounts of food so your body is probably still driving you to eat because it wants more vitamins and minerals. I would advise you to eat more but if it's uncomfortable, try prioritizing really nutrient-dense things like liver, fish roe, kale etc. and adding coconut oil to everything for calories.

[Lini May]

Thanks for the info & support

I'm going to ease my way into the 3 meals, by building up the 1st & 3rd meal, and cutting out the 2nd meal. I definitely used to be a snacker, and would usually graze all day.

I'm going to also try choosing more nutrient dense food, i love kale, so that part won't be hard.. but I'll really have to work hard to like liver.. and also up my fat intake.

[Beets]

It's quite possible your mind is playing tricks on you. If you have been severely calorie restricted for a long time you might not be getting appropriate hunger signals. You say you keep eating. Do you feel stuffed or a continuous of the same full? Your meals are way too small. Try trusting the template not your hunger signals for a while and see what happens. If you need to keep eating despite feeling full your body is telling you it hasn't gotten the nutrients it wants yet.

Yes.

I think in the first few days its especially tough to stick with three meals--but try. This is what you want to aim for. You are used to fueling yourself with sugar every couple hours. Just keeping eating when you are hungry according to the template. Get plenty of fat! Eating fruit as a snack won't do you any favors in terms of killing a sugar dragon or a sugary afternoon snack habit.

If you are genuinely hungry, eat per the template. (I got slack with this in the last week, ended up snacking on nuts and dried fruit and it jacked me up.) Most likely this will sort itself if you continue with the template.

[LadyM]

And overall, I'm wondering whether this will "sort itself out" (as I'm only on day 3) or whether i should be mindful of it, and pushing myself for the 3 meals/days (which would mean 6+ hrs between meals) or continue on the 4 meals per day, which if spread over 3 meals, I think is quite a bit of food?

a little confused..

For me this worked itself out. Once my body realized I wasn't going to starve it anymore and that it would receive the nutrients it needed, I stopped being so voracious. Now it's pretty easy to stick to 2 or 3 meals a day, no snacks, and to eat to satiety rather than stuffedness. This, in itself, is a miracle.

Trust.