Surprising Primal Problem - Advice Please! page 2

[KKDMB]

HOLY MOTHER THAT IS AN OMELET! I like it! Granted, I can't quite eat that much, but it is an excellent start! I'm thinking that a 2/3 or 3/4 version of that for breakfast would be a great, nutrient dense meal... and I'm making that tomorrow morning. I'm pulling bacon out of my freezer RIGHT NOW for that because it looks amazing. I'm thinking if I can eat whole meals that look more like this, I'll still want to eat twice a day like I am now and the calorie intake will be much more normalized.

Thank you!

[sbhikes]

Why don't you just make the mistakes that others have made? Make coconut or almond flour pancakes and other primal substitute baked goods. Eat lots of cheese and nuts, too. These things seem to pack on the pounds for most people.

[KKDMB]

Can I say that I'm actually blushing to have sbhikes responding to my question? I'm more of a forum stalker than poster, and you always give kind, thoughtful advice, lady sbhikes.

I'm down with pancakes once in a while, but I would rather not indulge on the substitute baked goods too often... or at least just yet. I'm a huge bake-a-holic and with only a few weeks off my sugar binges, I'm looking to get the extra calories from more of the 80 than the 20... cheese and nuts, though, I shall add Thank you!

[FrankiG]

FrankieG - CONGRATS on dc#3!! You have some lucky babies to have such a rockin' Primal mama I have been monitoring the carbs and struggle to get the number above 100g. Some days it is as low as 35g, and others I make it up to aaalmost 100. But you're right, that might be a huge factor - especially since my body has always had a ton of carbs to feed it before. I have a sweet potato roasting in the oven as we speak! Thanks!

FWIW, you can get in the extra carbs without having to do the baked goods - do you eat dark chocolate regularly? What about berries and other fruit? Lara Bars? (Those will give you an extra 30g of carbs which can boost you up to weight maintenance). If you drop below 100g of carbs a day you will likely lose weight which it sounds like you can't afford to do. It might be worth looking around the kitchen and making a list of 'high carb food' to have some of each day. Unsweetened applesauce, bananas, dried figs (pair any of those with fat/protein). But just doing fat and protein is neglecting an entire food group (carbs) and will lead to weight loss.

You can make things with nuts and coconut to help too - there are some good recipes in Primal Quick & Easy (mark sisson's cookbook) like the nutballs (process dates/macadamia nuts/walnuts in a food processor wtih melted coconut oil, stir in coconut and blueberries, roll in shredded coconut and freeze until you want to eat them).

[Bosnic]

It sounds like all you need to do is gain more muscle. Don't eat more than you feel you need to, eat when you're hungry. Also definitely incorporate some IFing.

I don't recommend you do anything that is at odds with healthy habits, simply to improve your esthetics. Workout, by all means, but don't go crazy with huge amounts of carbs and protein shakes just to make yourself look better. And remember not to over work your body: Work hard, rest harder.

[noodletoy]

the nausea sounds like a gut issue of the low-fat to high-fat transition. it should sort itself out.

some good suggestions here, but perhaps also try switching out some large-volume-low carb veg for lower-volume ones, like tomatoes and garlic instead of a big spinach salad.

[KKDMB]

Thank you to everybody who has responded! All the suggestions are exactly what I was looking for. The folks on this board sure know how to come through for a gal. *Sorry, going to college in the Dirty South (because that sounds so much cooler than just "the South") has given me an intense appreciation for what I think is funny Southern slang. Like gal. And y'all.

Ahem, back to the point.

FrankieG - I have been nibbling a square or two of dark chocolate most nights of the week, and I have been eating a generous amount of strawberries and blueberries since those are in season and I have aunts who live nearby in the country and grow a lot of fresh berries that they like to give away. I've made the coconut balls before and they're divine, so I would not mind making those a more frequent option. Thanks again for all the suggestions and for pointing out other Primal options besides the baked goods. I like the idea of a list of higher carb Primal foods since that is possibly what I need. Banana-berry-protein-kefir smoothie coming right up for breakfast (I usually have those 2-3x/week)

Bosnic - agreed on the muscle. I was just reading on freetheanimal.com that a lot of people have noticed that while the body is adjusting to this lifestyle the body fat does drop off rather immediately (for some, at least), but that after a few months it stabilizes and that after that transition it is a lot easier to put on muscle. I did 15 minutes of strength exercises yesterday and will wait 5-7 days to do some again. Thanks for the reminder to rest, and for making me feel better about just eating when I'm hungry, even if it seems like the hunger is low. I promise I won't go crazy! No craziness here. Whose crazy? *jokes*

Noodletoy - The more I'm reading the more I'm agreeing with you. I'm thinking a lot of my current issues are probably related to the transition and will work themselves out. I never thought someone would tell me to ditch my salads for a while, but it might be what is needed to get through the transition. I hadn't thought of focusing on higher-density veggies but it makes sense. Muchas gracias, friend.

You guys are great Thanks for offering advice and (maybe unwitting) comfort about the transition. Worries abated, good folks. You rock my socks.

[Ann1217]

Sweet potatoes, sweet potatoes, sweet potatoes (and white potatoes, and carrots, and parsnips!

I also have appetite issues if I am eating a lot of fat and protein, and I can't really afford to lose much weight, but if I eat starch with my meals, my hunger increases a great deal and I can eat more! Try making parsnip puree with tons of butter; it tastes amazing!

[KKDMB]

Ann1217 - Glad it's not just me who has had a wild appetite change with the meat and fat. Sweet potatoes I shall add!

And I'm kind of embarrassed to admit BUT because I never ate fruits and veggies till about 10 months ago (I was an EXTREMELY picky child and have just now gotten more adventurous) I have never had any idea what on earth to do with parsnips. You puree them, you say? With butter, you say? Can't go wrong with butter...That does sound amazing, and I will pick some up on the next trip to the market!

I thank you in advance for expanding my palate and veggie selection

[BestBetter]

My husband is sort of in a similar position - his hunger levels are often way too low, to the point where he has to make a conscious effort to eat more, and even then he falls short sometimes, and we've found that he just can't consume enough calories unless he's eating carbs - potaoes, white rice, occasionally some properly soaked quinoa or gluten-free bread. So this has me thinking that maybe in your case, upping your carbs in the form of primal things like white/sweet potatoes and white rice (I know you said you cut out grains, but maybe this one would be okay?) might be necessary. He and I have both found that adding starches tends to make us hungrier a few hours after eating them. For this reason, I try not to eat lots of starchy/carby/sweet stuff for breakfast, because It sets me up for a high-hunger day, but maybe this would work in your favor? I wonder if eating a big starrchy breakfast, like potatoes or rice, with fruit/honey instead of fat would help to trigger your hunger later in the day, when you could focus more on fattier foods. Just brainstorming here...