Sieb

I couldnt edit above but I should of said "too low in carbohydrates" in my sentence above..I did lose a lot of muscle which bummed me out which made me think I was way too low in protein.

HI, so excited to read your experiences with whole30 and IM training! I am a 3X IM finisher and several marathons, lots of HIMs ,etc. My experiences are somewhat similar. First IM when I wasn't familiar with the Whole30 at all, I got way in shape as in more muscular and compact. I am somewhat small anyways at 5'2 with a muscular build. Never been the lean body type but the athletic type. First IM I ate SO much and started craving steak and other foods. I always was into healthy foods (so I thought) but it was kind of the first glimpse of realizing to listen to my body and what it was asking for. But I ate a BIG bag of pretzels a night as I was burning the candle at both ends, etc and now I look back and think what I needed was SLEEP! Skipping ahead over the years and more IMs and HIMs and marathons as I adapted to paleo and listening to my body and using the Whole30 for experimentation and resets (I have successfully completed 4 Whole30 and did one that extended to 5.5 months which was amazing and I was learning so much about myself and my habits). I tried making my own nutrition before my 2nd IM while doing HIMs but it was just too much work on top of everything else. So I resorted back to honey stingers, etc while training the longer races. My last IM I was pretty surprised is that by following whole foods and maybe I was much more fat adapted as I have been following rather strict foods that I didn't really eat much different or feel like I was eating more than normal but I did continue to use stinger waffles, gatorade endurance (not sure I would use again) while on those long training rides. It just wasn't worth bonking and the craziness of it all I need to pick and choose my battles. I did lose a lot of muscle which bummed me out which made me think I was way too low in carbohydrates. Anyways, your question @lisac957 was: What have others done in this situation? Do you consider a product with sugar "worth it" for something like this, or have you found another solution? I know following a 100% compliant diet can be done though my personal answer to that is yes, it is worth it for me to still use my stinger products and recently using HUMA gel products but only while on the long training rides and runs. I personally won't do a Whole30 while in the middle of heavy training (beginning is ok) but in the perfect scenario, I try to follow the Whole30 approach and rules as close as possible and use as clean products as I can for training. FYI, I am currently trying to reel my eating back in as I went a bit crazy the last few months so jumping back on the Whole30 wagon.. and in week 5 of 20 for training.

OMG, thank you for this post!

@MeadowLily Yes, I totally agree that weight loss is not the purpose of the Whole30 but it sure is a nice side effect! I do not plan on doing any reintro for a much longer time as I am learning too much at this point of my Whole30 experience. I already know how my body will respond to dairy. And to wheat (I cut both out mostly for about 6 years now, I know how my body responds but dang it.. pizza is so good and usually always worth the pain). I am not eating much different pre whole 30 as I have been following a paleo template for years) But at this point now that I have all troublesome things out of my body for this time being, I am learning how my body is responding to even compliant foods such as nuts, or blueberries. I am also paying close attention to "habits" that occurred during the first 30 days and trying to recognize why and what to do about it. I also want to go through a few monthly cycles to see how even complaint foods effect my cramps and now that I am in training season for racing, I am eating a bit different post the initial 30 days and I want to see how my body reacts to that. I have actually cooked a dish or two which is a miracle in itself and that is only because I am making myself get more variety and if I wasn't working at staying on the Whole30, then I would not be trying new things. Yes, I still want to lose a few lbs (as a racer, I carry more fat than I should) and hormonal wise, I am pre-menopause, etc so trying to keep my hormones balanced is important to me through foods. So, for some people I think there is a lot more work to do and ending the whole30 and to reintroduce immediately might not be the best case scenario. If you have more to learn or more to accomplish, I think more power to you if you can go longer until you have the answers you want. The Whole30 is a great experiment to learn how foods effect the body and mind. Hopefully everyone is also noticing all the other great things that happens as well as possible weight loss.

I am on day 54 of my whole30 and am continiung until June or around that. I too have not lost weight.. i only weighed myself after day 30 and maybe lost a pound or two max but i flucutate by a few lbs in numbers so I dont really know what the number is but I would love to lose 11-15 lbs. I will weigh myself when i hit day 60 but I do not think I have lost any weight, . I get a bit jealous of reading everyones weight losses but proud and motivated by them all at the same time.My pants are not that baggie but I can see a difference in areas and there is less fat on me (my self pinch test) so I can't totally complain. I have felt amazing the last 54 days and so glad I am continuing because I am learning so much and I really feel great and empowered and in control. I am just proud of myself! However. I know fruit has gotten me into trouble but i think i am only now admitting it. Kinda want to have my cake and to eat it too kind of gal. I have had enough days of letting myself go crazy with frozen blueberries (my new found "drug" of choice) plus have had some nights that I had to work through the night and my sleep hours have been pretty bad (except I sleep hard and pop up totally awake the minute my alarm goes off). So that is what i am contributing to my non weight loss. I eat 3-4 times a day, 4-5 hours between but i know i have to follow the guidelines a bit tighter and cut fruit out for a while anyways and see if that helps. this is why i need to keep on the whole30 for several months so i can tweak things. Today I had a small helping of blueberries and noticed i bloated pretty bad after eating it. Which i might have noticed before but ignored it. So I am going to start that tomorrow! So this is why i need to stay on the whole30 much longer so I can tweak bad habits! You can do it with the nuts! With my other whole30s i have done, the nuts actually were my go-to bad habit but i think they did less damage than the blueberries!

The energy levels will come back and your runs will improve!! I think I laid off workouts for 2 weeks (i am in outseason so I could afford to) and then had so much energy, I couldnt wait to get a workout in. I have done 3 full distance Ironmans, 7+ Half Ironmans, few marathons, and other races and I have never peed blood. I would definitely go to the docs and get it checked out. I can't imagine the Whole30 having anything to do with this!

i personally would not start over for that. You caught it before drinking half the glass. one sip is not a slip up in my opinion.

@Kathleenkp Congrats on your training and becoming a triathlete! I have raced for 13 years now, completed 3 full distance Ironmans, approx 5-7HIM (I can't keep count anymore) and several handful of sprints and olys. Yes, so this sept i did my third full distance IM and I raced it with gaining weight as well. So weird how that happens, right?? One would think we would be so fit and be at our all time best weight from all the training. I know so many friends that started racing through the years that thought they would be in the best shape of their life but come race day, not at all. I actually gained weight in the last 6 weeks of this last race and in the process lost so much muscle this time around (2nd one, i got super muscular) My husband always reminds me back in my early days where I only did sprints is where i was my fittest. I am actually going back to sprints this season for many reasons, training time mostly, i am kinda over the IM thing as its gotten so trendy (but also has been the BEST time of my life), the increasing costs, my kiddies (who are 16 and 20 but still I want to spend more time with them instead of training) but also I am more interested in losing weight and building muscle which is not happening in my long-distance life! However, I do love the 70.3 distance and fighting the urge to race them. I promised myself not this season. Anyways, I read your post about your weight loss and your training and got all excited... from one tri gal to another.. so inspiring! Right now on day 27 on the W30, i have completed two other ones... I am taking my workouts into consideration and think for now while trying to lose weight, i am keeping the workouts in check and limiting cardio as I have tried to lose the 10-15lbs for years and years and I get no where with that. I get more fit, more musclar at times, but i have always had a higher body fat on my body. so this W30, I have lost a little body fat as I can tell, but I am going to keep going as close to this as I can untll my bday in June and see what happens. It's just one big experiment. I just feel so good getting all the crap out of my body (even though I have eating pretty whole foods for years, but I do get a bit crazy with some favorites like choc covered peanuts and going out for dinner on occassion, etc. and I do like beer) But if I ever want to get the body where I want it to really be, I know it has to be with consistency. So the W30 has been a great thing to get me started.

So day 15!! whoooo hooooop! Things are going well. Last week i wasn't reading or posting so sorry for missing all the great posts but I read up this morning. So in this last week, I feel like I brought in two things I need to work on in this upcoming week. 1. I got into this frozen blueberry habit last week. I am not a huge fruit person but when I eat frozen blueberries, it is as close to eating a bowl of ice cream... cold and almost chewy is the only way I can describe. But I decided today that I need to stop this now and get back to my regular scheduled program. Although compliant, I see what the blueberries are doing to me and I am eating more than I should. using it to top off my meal (dinner). It was a distraction which worked and got something different into my diet so they served their purpose. I feel like new habits pop up all the time when we find a crutch and that is what this blueberry thing is. And... headache again this morning which i know is from the stupid blueberries. Ok, enough of the blueberry talk! But seriously.. so good. But I feel like I gained some weight because of the extra sugar.. or something is going on cuz I feel bloated again. 2. I still haven't cooked anything like i promised myself i would. I seriously am the world's worst person in the kitchen. I hate it. I just really don't want to make anything, like ever. Been like this my whole life. Thank goodness my husband cooks. But I eat simple and always have. I have a meat, bunch of vegetables and a fat (and unless today frozen blueberries. ha). I see others peoples food pictures and i think how good it looks, etc. and I save the recipes. I make roasted veggies ALL the time which is pretty much me cooking. Anyways, i so want to make the fish coating that @NoMoreCruncyCravings made because i would so love it. So that is my only goal this week (besides the blueberry thing).

ooohhhh, sounds so good! thanks. i will be trying this too. yum yum yum.

THANK YOU!!! i am so excited to try this. I wasn't reading or posting last week so I am just getting to this now. But so excited to do this.

The start of Day 9! yay. Last night I woke up from a dream that I had eaten something without thinking about it and I was like, Oh no!!! That is on the Whole30. And... the start of the weird dreams. Last Whole30 I did the same.. so weird to dream about it! I had my first Christmas party last night and can happily report I made it out just fine. I tried to order a club soda with lemon/lime (I never know which one its suppose to be. ha) and they only had beers and wine so I just had water. I was testing out the club soda thing but that didn't work. And I had some fruit just as a little treat. I had eaten my dinner of Chicken and tons of veggies before so I was not hungry. I was not tempted what so ever so I was super happy! Only one more holiday party to get through, which I am a little more worried about as it is my husbands work party but I know I will be fine. Fancy and with some of the best foods and full bar. This party will be much harder to get through so I need to prepare myself. Cheers to Day 9!

ohhh do you mind sharing the talapia recipie?? I am dying over that.. looks so good!

Keep going Shelby!! it is so worth it!!!!!!

Yes don;t weigh yourself until the end... sometimes you are bloated, etc and seeing numbers on the scale will just mess with you even if the numbers are down. Looser clothes are the best, aren't they??!!