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Day 10 - Serious sleep issues


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Hi everyone!  I could really use some advice from some seasoned pros.  I am on day 10 of my first whole30.  So far I seem to be doing well on the diet except for in the area of sleep.  Normally, I fall asleep within 15 minutes of laying down and sleep for about 7-7.5 hours (sometimes waking 1 time).  Since I have been on whole30, I am having trouble falling asleep and I am waking up about every 2 hours.  I am exhausted for the rest of the day.  Last night I fell asleep reading to my 2 year old at 7 PM.  Mommy fail.  I am not sure if this is all coincidence, or if this is caused by the new diet.  

 

I am a regular runner and run about 30-35 miles a week right now and have a thin, but athletic build.  I don't need to lose any weight, but just wanted to clean up my diet to see if that would help my running performance.  Right now, my running performance is steadily declining along with my sleep, which is also frustrating.   :(

 

An example of some meals:  Breakfast- egg white frittata (I do not like egg yolks, yes I know this isn't ideal but I haven't liked eggs most of my life so the whites are a start) with peppers, onions, asparagus, parsley, ground turkey with 1/2 an avocado, a cup of berries, and black coffee.  Lunch- leftover dinner from the night before such as macadamia crusted Mahi Mahi with pineapple/mango/red onion/cilantro salsa - topped with avocado and sautéed kale w/ shallots. Dinner- Grilled chicken & broccoli w/ whole30 buffalo sauce and applesauce.  Pre-workout snack is a scoop of almond butter.  Post-workout snack is where I struggle to figure out what to eat so I usually just skip it....

 

Normally, I eat a lot more carbs, such as plantain chips or some gluten free whole grain cereal before running.  I usually follow an 80/20 paleo type diet and am 95% gluten free because it generally makes me feel better and my family has a history of auto-immune issues.

 

Does anyone have any advice on what I can do to help me sleep better?  Is this a phase of the program?  Any/all advice would be appreciated because I really don't want to quit 10 days in.  Thanks in advance!!

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Performance tends to wane at this time in the process until your body becomes fully fat-adapted.  It typically takes people at least 3 weeks on a Whole30 for performance to turn around.  Also, day 9/10 is the most popular days for people to quit a Whole30.

The post-workout recommendation is protein and optional carb.  You might try experimenting with tuna, chicken and some sweet potato to see if that helps you.

Definitely try incorporating more carb-dense veggies in your meals: at least a fist sized serving daily.

 

It's hard to tell portion sizes from what you've listed - are your meals keeping you satiated for 4-5 hours? 

 

If you want to maintain your weight, you might find this article helpful.

 

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A thin person running 30-35 miles per week needs to be eating starchy veggies at least twice per day and maybe three times per day. Potatoes, plantains, parsnips, rutabagas, etc. Nothing will keep your performance up for the first few weeks of a Whole30, but the carbs from potatoes might give you enough energy to keep you awake through story time. :)

 

I feel and perform well without eating starchy veggies, but not eating them ruins my sleep. I literally sleep better when I eat at least one serving of starchy veggies per day. 

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Thank you to you both for your advice!  I think you are both right about the carbs.  I will definitely start adding in some more sweet potatoes and starchy veggies.  My meal sizes are decent sized, with lunch probably being the largest, followed by dinner and then breakfast.  I am hungry between meals and have had a handful of nuts and some raw veggies between my breakfast and lunch (5 AM to 12 PM gap).  I was thinking that my between meal "hungriness" was just my hand-full of a carb snack habit rearing its ugly head, but maybe I really am hungry.  Thank you again to you both! 

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Thank you to you both for your advice!  I think you are both right about the carbs.  I will definitely start adding in some more sweet potatoes and starchy veggies.  My meal sizes are decent sized, with lunch probably being the largest, followed by dinner and then breakfast.  I am hungry between meals and have had a handful of nuts and some raw veggies between my breakfast and lunch (5 AM to 12 PM gap).  I was thinking that my between meal "hungriness" was just my hand-full of a carb snack habit rearing its ugly head, but maybe I really am hungry.  Thank you again to you both! 

 

You're welcome!

 

A good litmus test for whether you're hungry: ask yourself if you could eat something bland like steamed fish and broccoli.  If yes, the recommendation is to have a mini meal of protein, veg and fat (and in the future, make your earlier meals bigger).  Nuts are a fat source on a Whole30.   If no, then do something non-food related instead.

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