Day 9: sluggish workouts and "grumble tummy"

[Rebecca1121MB]

Hi Whole30 friends!

 

I've been reading through the topics on the blog, and finding the questions and responses to be very helpful.  I haven't seen anything specific about this, though, so I thought I'd post my own question.

 

I'm on day 9 of my first W30, and so far I'm feeling pretty good.  I was already gluten-free and dairy-free before starting, so the transition for me was mostly about hidden sugar in my diet.  I haven't had any cravings, really, and only some minor issues with the sugar withdrawal symptoms. I'm enjoying all of the fresh foods!  It's incredibly labor intensive, but I like to cook so I'm getting into a groove.

 

I really have two concerns:

(1) my workouts are still pretty tough. I find that my muscles are feeling fatigued much sooner than they used to, and my runs are much harder than I remember. Maybe my body is still adjusting?

 

(2) I find that my tummy still grumbles on a regular basis.  I read about "grumble tummy" for the first few days as your body adjusts to the veggies and whole foods that we're eating, but I thought it would have subsided by now. It's kind of embarrassing at work!

 

Thoughts on why these two concerns haven't improved yet? I'm fully committed to the plan and to the 30 days!  I am hoping that I see changes in these two areas.

[laura_juggles]

Congrats on making it through more than the first week!

 

It tends to take a little while for the workouts to pick back up. Are you having pre and post workout snacks? 

[Rebecca1121MB]

I wasn't specifically having a pre- or post-workout meal. The other day, I made sure to have a pear with some almond butter about 45 minutes before my run to see if that helped me with endurance, but it really didn't.  Generally I eat within an hour of finishing my workout - breakfast if I've exercised in the morning, or dinner if I've exercised after work.  Those meals include protein (eggs, chicken, beef), veg, and sometimes a healthy fat (nut butter, olive oil).

 

Perhaps I just need to be more patient?

[Karen_Suep]

An admin or another athletic person can answer more scientifically than me but you probably need to incorporate pre and post workout snacks (just a few bites, nothing big) IN ADDITION TO your meals. Pre should be (if I recall correctly) fat and protein like a deviled egg or boiled egg and mayo (fat is the fuel) and post wo should be a lean protein and a few bites of a starchy veg (like chicken breast and sweet potato - protein helps your muscles recover).

[laura_juggles]

If you're working out, raising your heart rate, you *need* at least the post workout snack. Even if you're going to be eating shortly thereafter. It's not a full meal - I usually do a couple bites of chicken breast and roasted sweet potato. Just something to get a little burst of recovery fuel to your muscles. 

 

If your meals only *sometimes* contain a healthy fat, then that's probably another reason that you're having some troubles. You *need* the fat at every meal. 

 

Take a look at the meal planning template and make sure you're really following it with regard to composition and portion sizes. We can all use the reminder sometimes   http://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-meal-planning.pdf

[jmcbn]

It usually takes until about two weeks in before training sessions improve - most people reach fat adaptation at that stage, but it can be a real struggle until you reach that point.

You do need to incorporate at least a postWO meal in addition to your 3 template meals - your muscles will struggle to recover without it. As karen has said above this should be a lean protein and optional starchy carb. No fruit postWO as it will preferentially restore liver glycogen when you want to restore muscle glycogen, and no fat as it slows down absorption of the nutrients to the muscles - this is why it's not a good idea to combine postWO with your next meal.

PreWo is a lot more personal and will depend on the timing of your training session in relation to when you last ate. If it's early doors and it will delay your meal more than an hour after wakening then you should have a small amount of protein & fat (or fat alone works here). This is not about fuel - your body can't convert protein & fat into fuel that quickly - this is just to let your body know that it needs to kick into gear and that it doesn't need to preserve energy as food is forthcoming. You don't want to be eating fruit preWO as it will provide an immediate source of fuel when you want your body to be learning to tap into it's fat stores, 

If your session is later in the day then you may be fine just upping the protein & fat content of the meal prior to the session. Protein & fat are slow burners so the fat in particular will still be working it's way through your system.

Give it time - your legs will come round again.

 

With regard to the grumbling tummy - are you sure you're eating enough?

[Rebecca1121MB]

I can't thank you all enough!  I am realizing some important things:

 

(1) I am not eating before my morning exercise regimen.  I was trying not to snack in the afternoon so I haven't been eating enough before my evening workout. I need to rethink both of these.

 

(2) The postWO snack is more important than I am giving it credit for! I figured that eating dinner was enough, but I need something more immediate to help my body recover.  I'm not a competitor and I'm not training for anything in particular, but I should give my body more of what it needs.

 

(3) I don't think I'm eating enough fat in each meal. I was afraid of consuming too much fat, but maybe I've been too conservative in my estimates.

 

I'm going to make a concerted effort to address each of these so that my WOs are better and my body recovers more quickly.

 

As for the grumbling tummy, it happens usually after I eat.  I admit that I don't always recognize when my body is hungry, but the noise happens after I've had a meal. I figured my body was struggling to process whatever I had just fed it?

[laura_juggles]

It may not necessarily be that your stomach is struggling to process anything. It could just be processing. How does your stomach *feel*? If you're not experiencing discomfort or anything, it could just be an air bubble working its way out. 

[jmcbn]

As for the grumbling tummy, it happens usually after I eat.  I admit that I don't always recognize when my body is hungry, but the noise happens after I've had a meal. I figured my body was struggling to process whatever I had just fed it?

It could be.... but if it becomes troublesome, doesn't settle, or you have other symptoms please make a post in the Troubleshooting forum listing a few days worth of food (giving specific details on portion sizes, types of veg, added fats etc) and then we can see if we can't help you figure it out.....

[Rebecca1121MB]

I've been keeping very detailed notes on what I eat, so I'll provide that in a separate post if the grumbling doesn't subside by day 14.  I have a "sensitive" stomach anyway and multiple other food allergies, so I worry that I haven't eliminated all of the offending foods.  My last resort is trying FODMAPS along with W30, but I'm hoping my body adjusts!