Usually, I'll do fine through lunch and breakfast. 1-2 a cup for breakfast, 1-2 cups for lunch, but I've had what feels like a load of veggies for dinner. I know this isn't a low carb diet, but it's making me feel somewhat stuffed, you know?

So will this effect my weight loss? Example of my intake today.

Breakfast - 3egg whites, 2 turkey bacon strips, half a cup of mushrooms and tomatoes. Half a cup of skim milk

Snack - sunflower seeds.

Lunch - 3 oz chicken breast, one cup green beans, one cup romain lettuce and one tbs olive oil. Half a cup of skim milk.

Snack - sugar free candies/gum.

Dinner - 4 oz fish, 2 maybe 3 cups of romain lettuce? I don't know how much, I just ate some from the stalk haha.

Dessert - Half a cup of skim milk.

8 cups of water and some diet pop.

I don't know why but I feel like I'm having too many veggies. Is me feeling stuffed a sign I should cut back, or is it normal?

No, it's not too many vegetables. Most dieticians now are recommending at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables (for veggies that's 1 cup raw, 1/2 c cooked).

Does lettuce usually make up the bulk of your veggies? Romaine is better than iceberg at least, but lettuce generally isn't a nutritional powerhouse. Even greens like spinache are often more nutritious cooked than raw. Sometimes raw veggies cause a "bloated" feeling if you have an easily irritated digestive system. So you could try cooked veggies and see if that helps.

I would say definitely NO! As Colleen said, romaine is better than iceburg, but it is still lettuce--and thusly has less nutritional and caloric value than say broccoli. Mushrooms, while tasty, have no food value at all. I think you should step up the broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc. You need more meaningful veggies to get the needed energy.

Also--what about legumes? Do you eat them? They really increase stamina and boost your energy.

Oh, I have to respectfully disagree! These links go into greater detail about the nutritional value and health benefits of mushrooms (they are considered a "Superfood").

http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,2001661,00.html

http://www.mushroom-uk.com/health_pr...-superfood.pdf

Oh thank gosh! I LOVE MUSHROOMS. I mean so versatile! haha.

I weighed in this morning [bad of me, I know but I wanted to make sure it was just too much water or something] and I hadn't lost [which I was expecting] but I hadn't gained either which was a pleasant surprise!

I don't know why I'm so hesitant to eat cabbage and broccoli. I don't dislike them, I love them actually...but if some romaine lettuce is making me this bloated, I'm terrified of what such fiber rich veggies will do, you know? Idk. I'll replace some of my lettuce with some cabbage today. Slowly adjust, I guess haha. Thanks again! You guys have been a great help.

What would you say is the MAX amount of veggies I can have? To reduce my paranoia, if nothing else, lol.

SoulBliss,

Thank you for that clarification I love mushrooms so it is good to know that they are just as healthy as they are tasty!

Thank you

Some people feel bloated after eating too many veggies because of well, gas. Some people just become extremely gassy after eating too many veggies. My mom being one of them. I don't think that you are getting too many veggies though. I think you just need to allow your body to adjust. I, personally, rather have cooked veggies over raw ones. I eat a lot of green beans, sugar snap peas, asparagus and of course, broccoli. You can always put things on your veggies too. I like putting cheese and sometimes alfredo sauce. There are a few recipes for a healthy alfredo sauce on this site. Veggies are very important to SBD. I don't think you can get away without having them. Personally, I can only drink so much V8.

I don't think you really have to worry about a maximum if you don't have IBS or other illnesses that might make digesting vegetables difficult. If you're concerned, ask your doctor. Otherwise, as long as you increase amounts gradually, you should have few problems (suddenly doubling vegetable intake can make anyone a little sick).

I have mild IBS, which was much more severe in highschool and college (at the time IBS wasn't uses, so I was diagnosed with non-ulcerative colitis, but I can control it by watching fat and fiber. If I eat too much junk, I get sick. If I eat too much raw lettuce and other raw vegetables, I get sick. It isn't life-threatening, just inconvenient and painful for a few days. Even so, I can eat outrageous amounts of veggies (say 10 servings or more over the course of a day) and not get sick if they're mostly cooked.

Isn't the South Beach recommendation to get 7 cups of vegetables a day? Or is it 7 servings? Either way, that number sticks in my head as a *minimum*, not maximum.

Kara

I aim for a minimum of four servings a day (2 for lunch, 2 for dinner) and a serving of fruit too. I try to make sure each meal has 2 different vegetables, and I try to have one cooked and one raw. I wouldn't worry so much about too much vegetables, but maybe the next time you go in to the doctor, ask.

The recommended amount for vegetables on SB is a minimum of 4 1/2 cups a day. I think as long as you stay within your calorie range that you could have as much vegetables as you desire.

Must be seven servings. Thanks, Linda!

Kara

I have IBS too, but starting SBD got rid of all my symptoms! The few times I've gone off plan, it's come roaring back!

triptropicana, have you tried taking Beano with your veggies? Cabbage and broccoli are notorious gas producers, but Beano should get rid of it before it starts. (yikes, I sound like a commercial! ) You can get generic brands that are pretty inexpensive. Just make sure you follow the instructions--I think you have to take one pill for every serving of veggies. Hopefully that will make you feel more comfortable venturing into more nutritionally rich foods. When you are, take a look at this thread on getting the most nutritional value from your veggies. Good for you on making them a priority!

Sunny, I thought the same thing about mushrooms until I read an article in Cooking Light earlier this year! I was so thrilled...they are so yummy and now I can feel really good about eating them!

On another topic, triptropicana, have you run your daily menu through Fitday, hon? I'm concerned that you aren't getting enough calories. Please do check--if you're getting less than 1200, your body just won't let you lose easily, and it's not healthy. You need to have more substantial snacks--at least protein at your two during the day (morning and afternoon).