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Been on Whole30 for two weeks.. still no energy to work out!


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Before I started the Whole30 program, for a couple months I have made it a priority to work out every day. Since I started, I have been working 40 hours a week and when I get home I have absolutely NO energy to work out... and on my days off I just feel like relaxing. I have been eating a lot of almond butter and I know that's probably not the best choice, but this wouldn't be the main factor of my low energy levels.. What should I change? I know the first week I'm supposed to keep my activity level light... but I thought I would get more energy after I got done with the first week... any advice?

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You are probably right at the cusp of getting good energy, better than you've ever had! Expect it, soon.

 

I definitely do not have as good of energy when I eat the nut butters. Sad but true. Try to eat this in moderation -- when that fails :), just don't buy more once you're out.

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Some days it seems like I have very little to no energy to workout, but when I still make in into the gym I have above average workout. Even a light workout is better than no workout and you will be feeling 1000 times better the next day. 

 

I also notice that I need to sleep a lot more on Whole 30.

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I work out about 5 days a week, I did the whole30 back in May/June.  I went through this exact same slump around the end of the 1st week and it lasted on and off until about day 21 or a bit later.  I had some terrible workouts, I was tired, gassy, sore, you name it.  But this forum really helped me stay with it, it seemed like almost everyone had the same issue and they all overcame it.  
 

It's just your body adjusting to the new way of eating.  It is getting used to the lack of processed foods and carbohydrates you might have normally consumed and it's training itself to start using fat for energy instead.  This is a tough time, physically and mentally, but you will soon get to a point where this will be a distant memory.  

 

I didn't believe it could happen, but one day before I realized it, I had the 'tiger blood'.  I was energized again, a lot more then I was before the Whole30.  My workouts got better, and then they became great, and ever since every single one of my workouts has been dynamite.

 

I agree with the other comments, try to limit the almond butter as best as you can, and try to get your fill from the protein, veggies and fats with your meals.  

 

Also make sure you are having something before you work out, a small serving of protein and healthy fat (avocado).  

 

Stick with it, it WILL get better, and once you are through this change your body is going through, you will really feel great.  If you feel tired one day, take the day off the gym and rest your body.  If you are eating well, then missing a day here and there to recover will be fine.  

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You also need to play the mental game.... Just start your workout, even if you are sluggish or feel like vegging out... Warm up well and just tell yourself you will get through it, before you know it you'll be crushing your workouts... Everyone has days / weeks of stored energy on their carcasses. Force yourself to tap into it. :)

Some of my PRs came on days I didn't feel like getting out of bed!

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I love the replies! I agree , no matter how tired, I do SOMETHING. And wow what a difference. Now, there are days when your BODY says rest me. But I find much of it is mental. And I also heard the almond butter is kinda not the best. Juice06870, loved your post!!! I'm on Day 5 and so far my days have been good. I'm still having slight cravings for sweets but NOTHING like before Whole30. My trainer thinks this is a "fad" diet. He's studying to become a physical therapist. When I said the author WAS one and a certified sports nutritionist, he kinda changed his tune a bit.... But I'd say go out and as Fenderbender said , use some of the excess energy stored in your carcass. Ha!

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I really appreciate reading everyone's response. I am on day 10. I work out every morning for an hour before my four small kids wake up and the craziness begins. While I'm glad I've chosen the whole 30, I am so upset that I cannot get my heart rate up to the numbers I was able to reach only two weeks ago. I am so winded in my spinning class. My goal is to maintain my weight, get stronger, and not feel like sugar is my drug of choice. I also want to be less obsessed with food and calories.....an obsession of mine since age 12. I am eating so much more than I ever have so I cannot believe how depleted of energy I feel. I am not a person who ate lots of carbs so I didnt think the whole 30 would hit me like such a ton of bricks!!!

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My one piece of advice is to make sure that post workout , you are replenishing your glycogen stores with a starchy veg. This leaves you charged up for the next workout. I also recommend coconut water as an exercise drink, just check to make sure there are no additives. This really helped me when I first went paleo. Also , as cutting out all processed food leaves your diet very low in salt, I would add sea salt to your cooking , especially if its hot and you are sweating a lot during work outs. Think of this as a transition, while your body changes its oil and give it a few more weeks. It definitely gets a LOT better : )

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  • 3 months later...

I am on day 28 and still feel tired all the time!  I wonder if my body is just not able to adjust to using fat for energy, or perhaps I am not eating enough calories?  I've been training for a half marathon...

 

perhaps you aren't eating enough to adequately fuel your life + training...what are you eating? a few days of food log may help us make suggestions how you can tweak things a bit?

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for breakfast I often eat a banana and an omelet made with 2-3 eggs with 1 cup bell pepper/ onion (kroger frozen mix) and 1 cup brocolli or spinach, plus olive oil for cooking and salt/ pepper.

 

for lunch, it varies.  Some days I have a huge salad (2-3.5 cups romaine lettuce, bell pepper, and chicken with vinegar and dijon mustard homemade dressing), an apple, and 1 oz almonds.  Other days I'll bring leftovers from previous dinners.

 

for dinner, I usually have a serving of fish/chicken/pork tenderloin with a starchy veggie (sweet potato, roasted parsnips, or butternut squash, 1-2 cups depending on the night) and a HUGE serving of some other veggie, like 2 cups brocolli, brussel sprouts, kale, or cabbage.

 

When I run, I usually have an egg or two before running.  Depending on the day and what's for lunch, I sometimes have my extra protein post workout, or I just have my lunch immediately following the run.

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When I was half marathon training I ate on the higher side of the meal template especially on long run days and I ate 2 servings of starchy veggies on days I ran if I could. Your breakfast could use more fat, the cooking oil doesn't really count. I would try upping your portions and starchy vegetables at least on the days you run and see how you feel.

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for breakfast I often eat a banana and an omelet made with 2-3 eggs with 1 cup bell pepper/ onion (kroger frozen mix) and 1 cup brocolli or spinach, plus olive oil for cooking and salt/ pepper.

 

for lunch, it varies.  Some days I have a huge salad (2-3.5 cups romaine lettuce, bell pepper, and chicken with vinegar and dijon mustard homemade dressing), an apple, and 1 oz almonds.  Other days I'll bring leftovers from previous dinners.

 

for dinner, I usually have a serving of fish/chicken/pork tenderloin with a starchy veggie (sweet potato, roasted parsnips, or butternut squash, 1-2 cups depending on the night) and a HUGE serving of some other veggie, like 2 cups brocolli, brussel sprouts, kale, or cabbage.

 

When I run, I usually have an egg or two before running.  Depending on the day and what's for lunch, I sometimes have my extra protein post workout, or I just have my lunch immediately following the run.

I eat more than that and I don't exercise.  I bet you need to eat lots and lots more.  Other athletes will probably chime in about how best to do that.   Eat up!

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  • 10 months later...

Today is day 5 for me. I feel very tired and I have some weird body aches. Not unbearable though. I am drinking quite a bit of coffee trying to stay awake. also putting the canned coconut milk from trader joes in my coffee, is that ok? I have been really good making a pretty hearty breakfast then following that up with a green smoothie, kale, spinach, cucumber, romaine, cilantro, parsley, avocado, lime & celery. then dinner tends to be at random times because of my crazy schedule. I am dancing in a show right now, so when I get home at 11pm I am starving, so I have been eating half a yam with coconut oil and ghee before I sleep. So that has basically been my diet, plus handfuls of cashews, some fruit here and there. Any suggestions welcome! 

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It looks like you're not eating anywhere near enough. Especially with long dance rehearsals. It's not unusual to still be tired after 5 days - if you check out the time line you'll see you're probably right in track.

Smoothies are not recommended, as liquids are processed faster than the equivalent amount of food would be. Plus you've got no protein in there or at dinner.

Try having a proper template meal for lunch (protein, fat and vege), then have a small meal before your show starts if you can stomach it, and another mini meal ready to eat when you get home after (still including your sweet potato though - you sound like you need the carbs). Eating enough might boost you out of the caffeine cycle.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Today is day 5 for me. I feel very tired and I have some weird body aches. Not unbearable though. I am drinking quite a bit of coffee trying to stay awake. also putting the canned coconut milk from trader joes in my coffee, is that ok? I have been really good making a pretty hearty breakfast then following that up with a green smoothie, kale, spinach, cucumber, romaine, cilantro, parsley, avocado, lime & celery. then dinner tends to be at random times because of my crazy schedule. I am dancing in a show right now, so when I get home at 11pm I am starving, so I have been eating half a yam with coconut oil and ghee before I sleep. So that has basically been my diet, plus handfuls of cashews, some fruit here and there. Any suggestions welcome! 

If you're on a performing dancer's schedule, you may need to work your meals around your shows, but you'll need to eat more food generally. If you're still around (I am seeing this post a couple of weeks after you posted originally, sorry!), try posting a couple of days' worth of meals, exercise, sleep, stress, etc. and you can get some tips. But really, basically, eat more food.  And hope your performances are going well!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Getting really frustrated as I've been training for a 15km run. It's in 4 weeks. Before I started W30 I was running about 8-9km comfortably at a reasonable pace. But my runs these past few weeks have SUCKED (I'm currently on day 20)! I've tried upping my starchy veg on my rest days but I'm just not able to maintain the endurance I normally can. It's making me pretty anxious. I will have completed reintroduction by the time the race is so I'm hoping if I just keep plugging away it will all be worth it on the day. I ran 10km on Friday and today (Monday) I couldn't even run 3. It was a morning run though and I ran fasted which I probably shouldn't have done.

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Getting really frustrated as I've been training for a 15km run. It's in 4 weeks. Before I started W30 I was running about 8-9km comfortably at a reasonable pace. But my runs these past few weeks have SUCKED (I'm currently on day 20)! I've tried upping my starchy veg on my rest days but I'm just not able to maintain the endurance I normally can. It's making me pretty anxious. I will have completed reintroduction by the time the race is so I'm hoping if I just keep plugging away it will all be worth it on the day. I ran 10km on Friday and today (Monday) I couldn't even run 3. It was a morning run though and I ran fasted which I probably shouldn't have done.

 

We certainly don't advice fasted workouts around here, especially first thing in the morning. Can you post a few days of your food log including rest, activity, stress, and water? That should help us help you. Usually the bonk period is about 2 weeks after which you should see a performance gain. It can take longer for some and less time for others.

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We certainly don't advice fasted workouts around here, especially first thing in the morning. Can you post a few days of your food log including rest, activity, stress, and water? That should help us help you. Usually the bonk period is about 2 weeks after which you should see a performance gain. It can take longer for some and less time for others.

I can't remember what I ate in the days prior to my Monday run. I haven't been keeping a food diary.... Oh well.

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