First whole30 starting July 11, 2016!

[mbrfoil]

Having decreased performance in an athletic capacity at the beginning of a Whole30 is pretty standard as your body switches from relying on carbohydrates and learns how to access fat stores or, becomes fat adapted.  This improves around 10-14 days, typically.

 

The pre and post workout meals are in addition to your regular meals. We recommend pre workout as protein and fat (about half a regular meal sized amount) and post workout as lean protein and starchy veggie (this is about regular meal sized amount).  What are you having trouble figuring out? Timing? Composition?  Let us take a look and help you out! 

Thanks ladyshanny. I guess I am struggling a bit with both timing and composition. If I ride in the morning, I would usually eat breakfast first so there is really only one meal. Should I go light here versus a normal breakfast - I am still experimenting with after if it isn't a meal - guess it should be a meal?  For longer rides, I have tried some dates or larabars for something midride. For mid day and after work rides and/or workouts, I have been doing some nuts and fruit before and usually have lunch or dinner after. I've been reading the fruit is probably not good before so would love some thoughts. I did do a bit better last night on my ride so hopefully I am turning the corner soon. I probably was missing some of the starchy vegetables early so trying to think about them more.  

[ladyshanny]

Thanks ladyshanny. I guess I am struggling a bit with both timing and composition. If I ride in the morning, I would usually eat breakfast first so there is really only one meal. Should I go light here versus a normal breakfast - I am still experimenting with after if it isn't a meal - guess it should be a meal?  For longer rides, I have tried some dates or larabars for something midride. For mid day and after work rides and/or workouts, I have been doing some nuts and fruit before and usually have lunch or dinner after. I've been reading the fruit is probably not good before so would love some thoughts. I did do a bit better last night on my ride so hopefully I am turning the corner soon. I probably was missing some of the starchy vegetables early so trying to think about them more.  

The pre and post workout snacks are in addition to your regular meals and should not be cause for you to adjust your meal sizes. These foods, post workout in particular, are to replenish what you used.  If you want to eat breakfast as your pre-workout, that's fine, the recommendation has a bit more flexibility there.  You really do need the additional lean protein and starchy veggie after though, if you feel that your workout warrants it.

 

Fruit is not ideal either before or after.  Eating fruit before tells your body to rely on quick incoming carbs rather than accessing its own fat stores for energy.  Post ride isn't ideal either because fruit preferentially replenishes liver glycogen over muscle glycogen.  Go with starchy veggie for post workout.  

 

Browse around the Whole30 for Athletes section of this forum, there is a tonne of discussion about this.  Most people find that once they are fat adapted, they don't need that "in the middle of the workout" boost quite like they used to.

[allyz]

I'm gonna need a bigger stomach, lol.  I didn't eat this much when I was out of shape!  Back to the breakfast/lunch drawing board.....thanks for all the advice! Interestingly, the cravings are about gone. Headaches, minimal. energy level...improving nicely along with my workout schedule   Been feeling much better the past 3 days

I'll try to eat more, I promise.  Going to make a salad with grilled chicken right now, in fact...

[mbrfoil]

Hello all! Glad to be hitting the downhill side. Still not feeling great yet; I haven't made that magic turn yet I guess. I am still trying to adjust my pre and post workout meals. I noticed I am struggling at the beginning of my workouts but the endurance is getting better. I am starting to miss some of my favorite foods - not really cravings just in a bit of a rut with food choices. Hope you all are making progress too! 

[ms62060]

Hello all! Glad to be hitting the downhill side. Still not feeling great yet; I haven't made that magic turn yet I guess. I am still trying to adjust my pre and post workout meals. I noticed I am struggling at the beginning of my workouts but the endurance is getting better. I am starting to miss some of my favorite foods - not really cravings just in a bit of a rut with food choices. Hope you all are making progress too! 

 

Hi! I am also waiting for the magical turn as well. I still feel as I have felt for most of whole30 although I noticed my pants aren't quite fitting and I no longer look like I am 4-5 months pregnant (that was a constant problem for me before the whole30). I am sleeping way better at night which is good. I am also in your same boat for the pre and post work out meals. I have been struggling with my workouts the past couple of weeks and added a pre/post meal and it has helped a bit. My problem is that I often wake up at 4:30AM to work out and that is hard enough as it is but to think about having to add in a quick&small meal beforehand makes it harder. I definitely am incorporating a postWO meal to help with recovery and have noticed that that helps.

 

I also noticed that I had started to eat a lot of fruit about midway through week 2 and I started snacking more. They were always compliant snacks but a snack none the less that usually wasn't necessary. I have made a point to stop eating fruit and to only eat when I am hungry (no snacking!!) to see if that helps my results. I am hoping it does!

 

Happy to be over halfway through this experience. I have greatly enjoyed it and am hoping I can maintain this way of eating 90% of the time. One thing I really don't miss is hangovers from alcohol.

[ms62060]

For the cravings... the thing that helped me the most was really taking a moment to think about how hard I'd worked, even in just the first few days, and refusing to toss that down the drain. Also... I noticed early on that eating fruit awakened a need to eat more sugar in me, so I cut out the fruit except for about once a week.

 

For the jalapenos... Yummy! Track down some Whole30-friendly bacon and make these (plenty to eat yourself over a few days or to share):

 

Bacon Jalapeno Poppers

 

15 slices of bacon

5 chicken tenders

4 jalapenos

 

•            Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (you can also grill these, and they are DELICIOUS that way).

•            Cut the tenders into thirds (normally about 2" long and 1" wide).

•            Cut the jalapenos into quarters (long, thin pieces) and remove seeds.

•            Wrap a chicken piece around a jalapeno slice (you'll have one extra jalapeno slice).

•            Roll the chicken/jalapeno piece up in a strip of bacon.

•            Use a toothpick to hold the bacon, chicken, and jalapeno in place (make a point of also piercing the jalapeno).

•            Once all are rolled, put on a baking sheet and put in the oven.

•            Bake 15-17 minutes (variances based on oven), turn 180 degrees, bake for another 15-17 minutes. When they're done, the bacon will look fully cooked and the jalapeno that's visible might have some brown on it.

These are flavorful and juicy - they really don't need anything else to go with them - though you'll need to add in more veggies on the side.

 

I made these jalapeno poppers last week...... holy. cow. they are SO GOOD! I definitely thought I would be missing the classic popper but this recipe is so good I almost prefer it over the cheesy/deep fried popper. Thank you for sharing!

[ladyshanny]

My problem is that I often wake up at 4:30AM to work out and that is hard enough as it is but to think about having to add in a quick&small meal beforehand makes it harder. I definitely am incorporating a postWO meal to help with recovery and have noticed that that helps.

 

I also noticed that I had started to eat a lot of fruit about midway through week 2 and I started snacking more. They were always compliant snacks but a snack none the less that usually wasn't necessary. I have made a point to stop eating fruit and to only eat when I am hungry (no snacking!!) to see if that helps my results. I am hoping it does!

 

Hi ms62060 - the pre-WO is a recommendation but we have lots of people that choose to work out fasted and that's fine if you feel that you are performing fine that way. Post WO is also a recommendation but it comes very strongly suggested as that is where all your recovery and performance improvement is going to come.  Good job there!

 

And your fruit story makes me chuckle....because that's about the short of it for so many people. Eat more fruit = more false hunger/cravings/snacking.  If you still want to enjoy fruits, make them an accent to a meal (berries in a salad, pineapple in a stirfry etc).  Always with a meal and probably no earlier than your second meal, if even that. The sugar in fruit in the morning, even when eaten with a meal, can cause issues especially once your body is more finely tuned.  You're waking from a fast and then sending sugar in which can wreak havoc.  I'm happy for you that you made the connection!  

[HopefullyHopeful]

So, day 16. I have been chugging along, but have had problems with bloating and the like, although I had to travel on Monday and Tuesday, which may have caused the issue. Every time I fly, I have 'bathroom' issues. I will say that traveling to a work conference was not the most enjoyable or easy experience, especially since ALL the meals were pre-catered. I was smart enough to bring some tuna packs, Rx bars, apples, cut veggies, cashews, and one 100 calorie pack of wholly guacamole with me, but it was still very difficult. I basically subsisted on the Rx bar and whatever fruit was available for the catered breakfasts, lettuce with one tuna pack and the veggies and guac for lunch the first day, then just lettuce and one tuna pack with some cashews the second day. The one dinner that I attended, I was able to convince the waiter to have the chef make me some veggies and chicken sautéed in EVOO, which was fine. I was STARVING when I arrived back home last night and destroyed 2 scrambled eggs, one chicken and apple sausage, and some diced potatoes cooked in clarified butter. I must say that upon waking this morning, I was still exhausted, but I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that I probably didn't take in enough calories in the two previous days. Also, oddly enough, after watching and hearing the telltale noise of everyone at the meeting cracking open their cans of soda for two days, I am really craving a Diet Coke, which under normal circumstances I may have twice a month...

[mbrfoil]

Hi ms62060 - the pre-WO is a recommendation but we have lots of people that choose to work out fasted and that's fine if you feel that you are performing fine that way. Post WO is also a recommendation but it comes very strongly suggested as that is where all your recovery and performance improvement is going to come.  Good job there!

 

And your fruit story makes me chuckle....because that's about the short of it for so many people. Eat more fruit = more false hunger/cravings/snacking.  If you still want to enjoy fruits, make them an accent to a meal (berries in a salad, pineapple in a stirfry etc).  Always with a meal and probably no earlier than your second meal, if even that. The sugar in fruit in the morning, even when eaten with a meal, can cause issues especially once your body is more finely tuned.  You're waking from a fast and then sending sugar in which can wreak havoc.  I'm happy for you that you made the connection!  

ms62060 - I started falling into the same habit too this week with a fruit and nut snack here and there. Thanks for the tips ladyshanny to limit to later in the day and with a meal as I started to suspect the same thing but helps to read it. I think I have been short on the good fats too - yesterday I really made a point to add a bit more and seemed to help with the headache. Wish I could say the sleep was great but it hasn't been yet but hopeful it is coming soon. 

[mbrfoil]

So thinking I was doing good - my pre and post workout choices are adjusting and the workouts aren't great but worlds better. I still feel very achy. I am still snacking some but limiting the fruits and truly going from 5-6 meals to 3 has been an adjustment as I have been hungry mid afternoon. I know the caffeine is probably my next demon but not for now so perhaps my sleep issues are related to it. I went to the Farmer's Market yesterday and my friend, a baker, had morning glory muffins. SO I bought one and put it in the freezer. Then I sorta realized, maybe I've got further to go on this process. I hate for this to be 30 days only and then fall back into the same habits.  I do think I am starting to feel better - it is probably creeping up on me more than a big a-ha moment. Anyway, the journey has been interesting and I do get the sense I am more in touch with what I need to eat than what I want which is where I needed to go. Hope you all are doing well too! 

[ms62060]

Hello All!

 

Just over a week to go! I will say that I am looking forward to the end. Particularly after yesterday's meal prepping experience. This whole30 has opened my eyes to how terrible the grocery stores are in my area. Where I live we only have Acmes and Food Lions. The best grocery stores are Giant (which is being turned into an Acme..) and Harris Teeter but both are about 30-40 minutes away and insanely busy all the time. I tried going to Harris Teeter last week but was disappointed. The veggies were beautiful but they were out of everything in the meat department that I wanted and didn't have some key items I was hoping for. I also waited 20 minutes in line at the checkout which was frustrating. I could try that again at a different time but between the drive to get there and the fact that they didn't have all that I was hoping for, it might not be a good use of time. I find myself having to order a lot online but that comes with its own timing issues.. plus extra packaging and shipping. All of the meals I wanted to prep yesterday I had to do multiple substitutions to because I couldn't find the right ingredients. And ended up buying sun butter that has sugar in it by accident -___- waste of $7. We have one health food store but it is teeeeennny tiny and although it does carry some items I need, it is as I said very small.

 

I am torn though because I like the way I feel right now without eating all the crap foods. It is just so hard to find sugar free items and foods with as little processing as possible. I definitely do not think I will go back to my old eating habits 100% but the little bit of wiggle room and choice will be nice. I am looking forward to the reintroduction to see what is bothering my body the most.

[ximena]

Well, there's only a few days left and I feel awesome! I never had any major issues, just a slight headache for a couple of days. I might do a second round of whole30 but I will take a break for a couple of days so I can eat some cheese and bread. How is everyone else doing so far?

 

[mbrfoil]

It will be an interesting transition from the Whole30. Like ms62060 I think I want to remain mindful but not so strict on everything. I like the cooking but a night out without worrying so much about whether the fish has butter on it even though you asked for it without it will be nice or nt worrying so much about the salad dressing. Still looking for that great feeling but I have never really had the amazing sleep - in fact, I have really struggled there. I never wanted to think of this challenge as a diet - it was truly a reset for me but it has been eye opening. Hoping I am one of the ones who has it happen on the last couple days but if not, I won't rule out doing this again but down the road probably.

[gallaghm]

So last day!! It's been a really interesting experience.  It's certainly be a challenge to stay compliant and, if I'm to be very honest, I am pretty sure that I've inadvertently consumed some non-compliant things along the way (my friend's kid's scrambled eggs might have had a dash of milk when we weekended together) but overall I haven't stepped outside the programme for 30 days.  The main challenge for me was certainly eating out or being with friends. My confidence to just tell people why I was 'being picky' definitely improved as the month went on and I think this has been a real positive from the programme.

In terms of improvement or changes, I wasn't really overweight or having a bad diet when I started.  What I had had, was a 40th birthday that went on for way too long as well as a series of work trips and a couple of weddings in a two month period. Too many treats, too many drinks, way too much airport and hotel food.  All this had left me feeling sluggish and a good few pounds above where I started. I haven't weighted myself so I'm not sure yet about the effects of the whole30, but clothes are certainly fitting better and a few people have mentioned I looked thinner.  Although I didn't really feel the 'tiger blood' I am also feeling better energy levels and I'd say my mood and concentration have also improved.

I'll certainly do this again, but will probably try for winter next time around, when things are quieter socially and the idea of a huge meat and vegetable stew is really appealing!

[ms62060]

Woohoo! Reintroduction time! I hope everyone finished their whole30 strong! I definitely enjoyed this experience immensely and I learned a LOT about my mind and body in the last 30 days. I have to say that this is a game changer for me. I thought that today I would be ready to jump right back into all of the foods I have not been allowed to eat but I can't say that I do. I love how I am feeling and looking and do not want to go back to how I felt pre whole30. I am going to go through the reintroduction for some of the big food groups just to see how I react but overall I am going to remain whole30 about 90% of the time. I will probably "off road" maybe just on the weekends when I go out to eat. It will be nice to be more lax about that and not have to worry about looking up the restaurant too much (although I half think I still will do that before choosing where to eat if I can). I also started reading It Starts with Food and that has been a great read so far. I have learned so much!

 

Anyways, just wanted to congratulate everyone! I hope your reintroductions go well!

[mbrfoil]

Yeah! I made it. I too was true to the program as far as foods but the actual amounts and getting the right balance may have been off at times and with my workouts continued to struggle a bit with pre/post workouts although I think I an getting better. I never got those wonderful feelings but as I shared I do think some things got better - just not in big amazing ways.  I never got that great sleep which may be part of the problem; I did find myself getting up in the middle of the night for a bathroom break which probably didn't help although I went back to sleep. I am  not sure if that is a side effect of the diet changes or not; I was going to research but never did. I sorta jumped into the Whole30 without a lot of prep which is unlike me  and I think for me it was good to give it a go but the timing may have been better had I pushed things out a bit given what I had going on so I may try again at a slower time when it is easier to cut back on activities. I like the thought of focusing on Whole9 and looking at all aspects of the health too. I hope to remain focused on feeling better with the foods I eat. I noticed this morning after yesterday's reintro that I woke up with that heavy, blah feeling and my head was spinning a bit so thinking the next 10 days or so will continue to be interesting in the process. Wishing you all the best!