This was without a doubt the worst day of the challenge so far. I was concerned prior to my 15 mile run that I wouldn't be adequately fueled by what the diet was allowing me. I got through the first 12 miles just fine, but at that point, my legs were shot. When I finally completed the 15 miles, I was ravenous. I downed a protein shake and went with my compadres to a local diner for some brunch. My paleo options were a bit limited at the diner because:
1. They were lacking any fruit options
2. I didn't think I could stomach any of the veggie options
I ended up selecting the steak and eggs plate. At the diner, I was unable to get my body to warm up. Despite two cups of hot tea, I was shivering. By the end of the meal I felt exhausted, cold and nauseous. I drove home desperately trying to warm up and keep my lunch down. One there, I relaxed in a warm bath for a good 30 minutes just trying to get my temperature up. After bathing, a little bit of down time, and some more food I was feeling better but not 100%. So a question for any of you Paleo savants out there: what are some ways to adapt the diet for the endurance athlete? I don't want to go through this same process every week - it seems far from healthy.
Workout:
Ran 15 miles with lots of hills
Food Journal:
Breakfast: 2 eggs (scrambled)
2oz. ham steak
1/2 avocado
1 cup blackberries
Lunch: 2 eggs over medium
5oz strip steak
1 orange (when I got home - to stave off puking)
PM Snack: Carrot sticks in almond butter
1 orange
Dinner: 5oz wild caught sea scallops (seared in olive oil)
Steamed Broccoli w/ Lemon Pepper
1 cup blueberries
Sleep:
8.5 hours
There is no adapting the Whole30 for any specific athletic type. The Whole30 (and Paleo in general) is for EVERYBODY, regardless of their current physical condition. I would highly recommend that you contact Fitbomb or even The Lazy Caveman (he just finished the Whole30 as well) and get their thoughts on how best to feed and sustain you. If anything, you can also contact Diane Sanfilippo of Balanced Bites since she's a nutritionist. You can find them on my "Paleo Links" page of my blog.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I understand, you just went from a high-carb diet (one that included high amounts of grain, dairy, and processed stuff, all of which serves to keep you on an all-day sugar high) to the Whole30 (which has none of that). Your body is now going "WHOA!" and switching from using carbs (read as: sugar) as fuel to using your own fat stores (which are MUCH better sources of fuel for function). And since you've gone from high amounts of sugar to barely any (save for the healthy carbs you're consuming with fruits and vegetables), your body is totally detoxing and cleansing itself of years upon years of unhealthy eats. So the fact that you're even asking about adapting the Whole30 for the "endurance athlete" and/or doubting yourself at this point means that you haven't done your due diligence and read Robb's book at all (or any of the other information about people who've made the switch, for that matter). Sorry for the tough love, but YOU signed up for this challenge and it's up to YOU to properly educate yourself on what the challenge is all about. YOU knew what was involved with the Whole30 before you started so there's no way you can allow yourself to sit back and whine about how crappy you're feeling.
On a MUCH HAPPIER note, I really do owe it you for taking on the Whole30. It takes a LOT of balls to be able to do this (the drastic switch from a grain-based diet to the Whole30) and it's definitely something that I can't do (literally and figuratively). The wimp in me decided to take the easy route and slowly phase those items out. So please just KNOW that you have a HUGE AMOUNT of support, whether you realize it or not. You CAN do this! All it takes is a little bit of faith that you WILL make it through this "detoxing" period and you will come out so much stronger at the end. Trust me, you WILL be glad you took on the Whole30, even if you're not going to continue with it after you're done. So hang in there!