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Help me fuel my workouts


LindsayRunsFast

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I am VERY new to this way of eating. I have tried it a little in the last but always felt bad. I started the Whole30 today and am committed to this. But I am training for a full marathon in November. I want to make sure I continue to feel well during my runs. Please help me figure out when I need to eat extra carbs and when I don't. I understand a lot is by how I feel but I at least need a starting point.

3 days - shorter run (generally right an hour or under)

2 days - yoga and weight lifting

1 day - long run (getting up to 13+ miles)

Rest day.

What should I be eating carb wise on these days. Also WHEN should I eat them? Pre run? Post run? Thanks!

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If you are lean, you would probably benefit from eating carbs with every post-workout meal - running and yoga/weight lifting. An ideal post-workout meal is chicken breast and a baked sweet potato. The idea is lean protein and a good carb source, but little or no fat.

If you are not lean and you are trying to lose weight, you can omit carbs from your post-workout meals. You might feel a little less peppy, but probably not much. I stopped eating post-workout carbs without noticing much change, but I am a blunt instrument.

Your activity level is high enough that it would not hurt you to eat carbs every day. You don't eat carbs to fuel a workout, so you should not eat them as a pre-workout meal. Pre-workout meals are meant to signal your system to release some energy for work. These should include protein and a little fat. A few boiled eggs are a good pre-workout meal.

I often eat baked sweet potatoes at supper and I do my workouts at noon. That's what works for me, but your experience may be different.

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I'm a woman and I need a sweet potato, winter squash or something like that most days of the week or I can't get up a flight of stairs (!). Compared to the sugary cereals, bars, and breads I used to eat, a sweet potato is nothing. I'm still losing the excess weight I need to lose doing this. My mood has improved and once again I'm having dreams. I like to have my sweet potato at night, as well.

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Today I could barely complete my WOD and ate protein and fat prior to class. I usually eat a small protein with half a sweet potato and I go thru my workout like a champ! I know the program states to eat the sweet potato AFTER but I fuel up better when I eat the sweet potato/protein before and the protein/veggie/fat packed lunch after. Can I continue to do this or does it go against the Whoel30?

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Today I could barely complete my WOD and ate protein and fat prior to class. I usually eat a small protein with half a sweet potato and I go thru my workout like a champ! I know the program states to eat the sweet potato AFTER but I fuel up better when I eat the sweet potato/protein before and the protein/veggie/fat packed lunch after. Can I continue to do this or does it go against the Whoel30?

You can eat carbs before and fat after workouts if you like. That practice is contrary to what works for many people, but doing it does not invalidate your Whole30.

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