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Dancer training for tour


deekeaveney

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Hey Whole30 friends. I have yet to start my journey, next Monday is the magic day but I have a few questions before I get going. I have adopted a paleo based diet in the past while I was in dance school and found it really beneficial but this will be my first Whole30.

At the minute I am training to get in my best physical shape as I will be going on tour in December for the whole of 2016. I'm lifting weights with a trainer, and taking gymnastics, pole and Ballet class. I also work in a nightclub until 3 or 4 am.

I am a big snack person as I find that I burn through energy really fast and irely heavily on coffee to get me through work at night. I'm worried that if I eat massive meals instead of smaller snacks that I'll be taking in too many calories. Also I am starving hungry and exhausted when I finish work, should I just go straight to sleep on an empty stomach and wait to eat til I wake up?

Hope someone can help me!

Thanks!

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Firstly calories are not all created equal so you shouldn't put your focus on your calorie intake, but rather on the fact that you will be nourishing your body with wholesome, nutritious foods.

Secondly, your meals will not be massive - they should be built around the meal template of 1-2 palm sized pieces of protein (that's the length, width & depth of your palm), 1-3 cups of veggies (with 3 being optimum, aim for more cooked than raw in order to go easy on the digestive system & to improve satiety), and 1-2 thumb sized pieces of fat (or a dollop of mayo, a handful of olives etc)

Coffee is an appetite suppressant so the recommendation would be to drink it with/after meals, and to avoid it after midday. The foods you eat should provide you with enough energy to get through your day - drinking coffee for energy is actually counter productive as your body adjust to the caffeine and you soon need more to feel energised.

Snacking is discouraged. Aim to build meals that will keep you satiated for 4-5 hrs, and if you really must snack ten try to make it  mini meal with at least two of the macro-nutrients (ie. fat & protein, veg & fat, or veg & protein) but ideally incorporating all three.

If you're lifting, doing gymnastics etc you should also be incorporating pre & post WO meals. The recommendation for preWO would be protein & fat (think a hard boiled egg, or some chicken and guac for example), and for postWO you should be eating a lean protein and starchy carb (something like tuna & carrots, or chicken & sweet potato). Avoid fruit pre & post WO.

Don't be afraid of the fat. Fat & protein will keep any cravings at bay, and the fat will provide you with energy. Protein will give you staying power. Veggies will give you that nice full feeling.

So, three template meals, three times a day (the first within an hour of wakening), additional pre & post WO meals where required, and half an ounce of water per pound of body weight daily - do this daily and you'll be fine.

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Thank you!! Would it be advisable to have a typical post WO when I finish work late at night? I usually work 7 hours without  a break, very physical, running up and down stairs and carrying glasses etc. I sweat a lot and almost consider it a work out to be honest! I know eating before bed isn't ideal but I always feel hunger pangs when I finish up at 3 or 4 in the morning. Is it best just to sleep on it?

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I'd say a few bites of something along the lines of a typical postWO meal wouldn't do you any harm, rather than going to bed hungry and not getting a restful sleep... plan ahead & don't just reach for fruit.

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