maintaining weight and improving energy for workouts?

[ecb]

OK so I'm about a week in and so far I'm doing quite well with this. The switch to W30 eating wasn't that tough and I've noticed my energy levels are much more consistent. Excellent. There are two things I'm trying to sort out though:

1. I am not weighing myself but it's pretty obvious I've lost some weight since I began. I'm already fairly skinny (5'7", 140-ish) and don't want to lose much more - ideally I'd lose a bit but put on some muscle mass over time. However, I am quite sated by my meals and feel like I would be eating to discomfort if I were to ingest more food. Any advice here? You can see my food log to get an idea of what I'm eating.

http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/856-ethans-whole30-log/page__pid__7171

Portions are hard to quantify but they look normal size to me. If I were to guess I am probably around 1800-2000 calories per day.

2. While my moment to moment energy/alertness has been good, I feel like my workouts have been a bit harder on me than before starting the diet. I normally do Kettlebells, free weights and intervals of strength/cardio. I don't think I'm quite as strong or have the same stamina as before. I am not eating before workouts because I am full and feel like that would make exercising (especially things like sprints or KB swings) really unpleasant. Post workout I eat something but it's not bonus meal sized. Again not hungry. I do try and get some fats and protein (banana with almond butter and coconut being the winner so far, very tasty and feels right). Anyway, any ideas what's going on? Typical at this stage?

Would love to get some feedback. Thanks!

[Renee Lee]

You could definitely stand to eat more in general, but if you're struggling in your workouts, add in some more whole30-carbs and see if it doesn't improve.

(Add an egg or two at breakfast, eat another sweet potato, etc)

[ecb]

Thanks, I was thinking carbs were the answer. I just don't want to become reliant on them for energy as I suspect that they might be reason for the up/down energy before (and their minimization the reason for the steadier energy now, which is the main immediate effect I'm feeling and appreciating). Is that likely the reason why I'm feeling this way?

Breakfast includes a fritata every day (a serving is about 2 eggs + veggies). Is that not enough eggs?

To be a little more specific, would you say more carbs and calories closer to when I work out in the evening (say add in a potato/coconut oil or some dates & nuts), or just more carbs throughout the day?

Thank you!

[bon]

I upped my eggs to 3 each morning and noticed a difference. It was hard for me to eat that much at first, but it's definitely helped with satiety before lunch. I also like to have a cup up black coffee before I work out. BAM!

I am also pretty slim (5'8", 110ish) and noticed with my first whole30 that I lost about 4 pounds the first week. I was naughty and weighed myself because my pants were becoming quiet loose. This concerned me. BUT I upped my carbs and fat with meals and I did not lose anymore weight. Didn't gain any either, but that's another post;)

I'm doing my second Whole30, this is day 11 and I still notice that my energy levels (for workouts) isn't back to normal yet. I just figure my body is doing it's thing.

[ecb]

Thanks for the tips/perspective. The thing is that I'm just not that hungry. I rarely feel I'm fighting through hunger during the day or ignoring it to avoid snacking. The way I normally ate was much more of a grazing mentality and much more of a typical diet (grains, dairy, sugar, etc). I am sure the fats and protein are serving their satiating purpose more so than the refined sugars and grains ever could. I'd always heard that was the case and experienced it in bits and pieces but never had it displayed quite so starkly!

[Renee Lee]

Nope, 2 eggs isn't enough for almost anybody, IMO. 3-4 is pretty good for most women, 4-6 is solid for most men, particularly active ones.

Sweet potatoes and other starches shouldn't feed into your energy roller coaster stuff, because starches are much slower to digest than the simpler sugars (sucrose, fructose and glucose), so it's a slower, more consistent energy release. As an active person that doesn't want to lose much mass, it's important to make sure you're fueling your efforts. Eating more carbs will also make you a little bit less sated, so you'll be able to get down more food, if that makes sense?