Workout Performance?

[nhahn2206]

I feel like I'm struggling this week with my workouts. Maybe it's something external, but I'm wondering if it may be food related. Has anyone struggled with this? I'm just over 2 weeks into my Whole30 and I've been following the guidelines pretty well.

My CrossFit times have been consistently some of the slowest for each workout, and I am usually at least in the middle of the pack. Does anyone have thoughts on why this might be? Is this maybe a common dip with a diet change like this? I certainly didn't eat poorly before starting this, but definitely went cold turkey on things like gluten, grains, sugar, and alcohol.

I'm going to list my food for the day as well. If anyone has tweaks for that as well, please let me know. I'd love to hear any suggestions! Thanks!

Today's eats were the following (this feels like a pretty standard day for me):

Pre-workout snack (9:30am): Two mini egg frittatas (approx. 1.5 eggs, 2ish tablespoons of sausage and kale)

Breakfast/post-workout (11:30am): Tuna salad (1 can with homemade mayo and a bit of diced apple) with half an avocado and 1 bell pepper

Lunch (4:00pm): 8 pork ribs, 1 bell pepper, half an avocado

Snack (7:00pm): Half sliced apple and baby carrots with almond butter

Dinner (10:00pm): 5ish oz. shredded chicken with salsa, half an avocado

[Tom Denham]

You are not eating enough overall or enough carbs for a CrossFitter.

Your pre-workout snack looks good. Your combined post workout-breakfast is an issue. First, you are combining two meals, so you are not getting the extra calories of the bonus meal that a post-workout feeding is supposed to be. Second, the breakfast is heavy with fat - mayo and avocado. Post-workout meals are supposed to be lean protein within 15 to 30 minutes of finishing workout to feed your muscles. Eating a meal with fat slows down digestion and keeps needed protein from getting to hungry muscles in a timely fashion. That said, the protein portion is good, but the supporting veggies are pretty thin. Lunch is unclear. Pork ribs are sometimes meaty, but sometimes lean. I don't know if you are getting enough protein. The veggies at lunch are thin. There are no veggies at supper except a little salsa and I'm not sure that 5 ounces of chicken is enough.

Your fat intake is probably okay, but I suspect you need more protein and a big serving of starchy carbs like sweet potato, butternut squash, carrots, beets, etc. to fuel performance, plus some more veggies overall.

For a little reference about post-workout meals... I am eating a 5 ounce can of tuna at the gym as a post-workout meal, then driving home and cooking lunch. By the time I get home and finish cooking, I am ready to eat a sizable lunch. My recent lunch after a workout was 2 pieces of slow cooker rabbit curry, a big batch of wilted greens, and a bottle of kombucha. I may be a lot bigger than you, but I still think you need more food.

[nhahn2206]

Thanks, Tom. I'll definitely work on upping my veg intake at all meals. I really just need to buy more. My fridge is pretty bare at the moment, which is why I haven't been eating as much veg. Really though, I think buying more food overall would help. I appreciate your suggestions!

[nhahn2206]

Also, would a couple of hard-boiled eggs be a good thing to bring to the gym as post-workout fuel, or would that be too much fat? Maybe sliced deli turkey? I'd like to get away from bringing tuna to the gym. I seem to have a hard time getting it down right after a workout.

[Kaleena]

I'm on day 17 and I too have found the past couple of workouts to be rather hard. As Tom said, maybe a food issue. I've also considered 1. the possibility of an adjustment period with the dietary changes and 2. Feeling so good last week and working out harder = a little less energy this week.

[Carolyn Koron Parise]

I do a boot camp class at 6am. I eat a hardboiled egg and a spoonful of homemade almond butter about an hour before. That seems to sustain me.