Not an athlete

[Megan]

I don't see myself as an athlete... but I may be? I used to do (prior to W30) a crossfit session each day plus either a cardio class or pilates/body balance class five days a week and one session a day of those items mixed up for two days. Sometimes I'd have a rest day, but not always. Throughout W30 I've felt a loss of energy, and then a loss of strength. I thought I may have been doing too much, so I've slowed down to three crossfit sessions a week and two olifting sessions and one cardio. Still really lacking in strength, feel weak as a kitten... I'm eating one sweet potato a day (small to medium sized) and have increased red meat intake... and nothing. I'm on day23. I think I may need to refine pre and post workout snacks. I've tried to do this, but have not been consistent with it. The pre workout snack has been easy enough, but I haven't been doing a post work put snack, I've just either eaten breakfast or dinner after a workout. Any suggestions please on what is quick, easy and productive as a pre and as a post workout snack...I don't have a large hunger after a workout and find it difficult to eat a large amount.

[Jtandi]

I think it would be wise to let people know what your typical day looks like as far as food. one small sweet potato a day? if that's any indication you are not eating nearly enough and working out way too much.

[Megan]

Pre workout would be; either a boiled egg, or a serve of left over cold chicken, or a serve of sweet potato.

Breakfast would be either; two eggs scrambled with water, salt and pepper and olive oil, or left over protein and one coffee with almond milk. A snack would be a handful of raw cashews or a piece of fruit, sometimes a green tea. Lunch would be green baby spinach or mixed leaf salad with tomatoes, cucumber, capsicum, olives and tuna in olive oil (drained), or coconut milk baked chicken with broccoli, capsicum, celery, b/sprouts, fresh chilli (a whole red and a whole green). Dinner would be lamb chops grilled with salt and pepper and roasted veg, of sweet potato, pumpkin, onion, carrot, capsicum, etc with garlic, ginger, salt and pepper and olive oil or macadamia oil. Sometimes I'll have a piece of fruit after dinner, or some cashews or almonds in the afternoon and sometimes I have a small tin of tuna with olive oil in the afternoon, oil drained. Sometimes I'll have chicken instead of tuna for lunch and I'll add avocado to this. And sometimes I'll do up lean beef mince with a variety of veg and fresh tomatoes to have with zucchini strips, or have a steak with roasted veg or salad. I drink on average a litre of water a day, sometimes under, sometimes over and sometimes have sparkling mineral water, either with or without some fresh lime or lemon. I find it hard to eat large serves and this is why I have snacks. Dose this help to give more information?

[Megan]

Oh, and I also sometimes have cold sweet potato 'chips' baked in oven with avocado in the afternoon, this is becoming a favorite.

[Tom Denham]

How closely are you following the meal template? http://whole9life.com/book/ISWF-Meal-Planning-Template.pdf

[Megan]

Hello Tom, I have been following the meal/portion template fairly closely, although each meal may have a little over, or a little under with the serve of fat required. Could this be an issue? I've been very compliant, at one stage I thought I wasn't eating enough protein so I have increased this up to 1.5 serves each meal over the past 6 days. I find it difficult to eat a lot of protein in one sitting and I was thinking of having more pure protein based snacks, could this be of help? Not sure as I'm trying to move away from the snacks to three meals.

[Tom Denham]

Your food choices look good and your portion sizes sound right. I did find that I recovered better when I started eating lean protein immediately after finishing a workout at the gym, but I would not count on that to improve your energy levels much, just to reduce muscle soreness. Eating one sweet potato per day sounds good. About the only thing I could imagine trying is to double that to two sweet potatoes or servings of starchy carbs per day to see if it helps. Most people eat a lot fewer carbs when they do a Whole30 and you may need more than you get from one sweet potato.

I do think the amount of training you were doing before was a bit much, but your energy should not be a limiting factor. This is a bit of a puzzle. I wish I could offer more.

[Megan]

Thanks Tom, I'll keep tweaking things and I'll try more starchy carbs...