Sports nutrition- support needed

[alison_in_oh]

I have been doing a 100% raw food regimen for a few months. I have lost a total of 20 lbs since Dec. I have now been adding in physical activities in slowly. I am riding my new bike 13-15 miles a day I have had the flu, but I am almost over it. I have had changes in my vision during my rides and feeling a bit dizzy before and after the rides. Could use more boost during. I understand that some of this may be due to added physical activities.
I have been considering adding in some other fiber like whole grain breads and definetly NOT White breads.
Continue with the nuts and avocados and fruits and veggies but some cooked. I think I am also going to add in some lean meats- Chicken breast and Turkey. Keeping my portions small but eat throughout the day. I am missing out on some luscious foods my family eats and I am frankly not staying raw for life. I don't want to gain weight back, but figure as long as I stay active I should be ok. What do you think?
What does your average food day consist of?

The rules for nutrition on a raw foods diet are no different than the rules on any other vegetarian, vegan, or omnivorous diet. You need to get a VERY LARGE variety of foods. You need to get essential fats, including both omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. You need lots of protein sources, because different plant proteins are deficient in different amino acids that your body needs; if you get just one you could have malnutrition problems but if you get many over time you will avoid these problems. You're definitely not getting vitamin B12 without supplementation; also pay attention to your calcium and iron.

Check out the books by Dr. Weil and the American Dietetic Association's position paper on vegetarian diets: http://www.eatright.org/Member/Polic...ndex_21026.cfm

Your body is trying to tell you something. Please listen to it. Don't do exotic "diets" purely for fat loss; eat healthful foods to build your body up right.

And dang, 1 lb. per week is a healthy rate of loss. Anything faster and alarm bells should be going off.

An online friend said today, "people who DIET bother me. dieting is stupid, it's like taking on a sport for three months with the notion that once you're good at it you'll quit forever. well, you'll never be good at it when all you're doing is thinking of quitting."

Eat well for a lifetime of health, and your body will work out the petty details of bodyfat, skin tone, hair health, general immune strength...

[AutumnBreez]

Well, I think that 20 lbs in span of 3 months is not too radical. But I do think I may not be getting in enough of the carbs and protein my body needs for this challenge I am asking my body to put up with. The thing with raw is that it is not a fad diet. It is much like vegan. But no cooked foods. Lots of sprouts, which I was not doing. But I think I have had enough of not sharing in with the family anyway....I miss those eggs and such... I had an egg today. I think I will slowly add in these foods and see what my body says then. But I will continue to ride. If it persists after adding in for a few days I will go see the doc. I will add in the other foods. I have to. Thanks a million ladies!

[alison_in_oh]

Well, I think that 20 lbs in span of 3 months is not too radical. But I do think I may not be getting in enough of the carbs and protein my body needs for this challenge I am asking my body to put up with. The thing with raw is that it is not a fad diet. It is much like vegan. But no cooked foods. Lots of sprouts, which I was not doing. But I think I have had enough of not sharing in with the family anyway....I miss those eggs and such... I had an egg today. I think I will slowly add in these foods and see what my body says then. But I will continue to ride. If it persists after adding in for a few days I will go see the doc. I will add in the other foods. I have to. Thanks a million ladies!

Yay, good luck! Definitely check out the vegetarian position paper I linked. As an athlete, you're going to want very nutrient-dense foods and try not to fill up on lower-nutrient stuff. Fruits tend to be very high GI, they zap your blood sugar and then leave you to crash. Same with sugary root veggies. For healthy grains, start with the least processed: whole grains like quinoa, amaranth, bulgur wheat, basmati rice. If you're thinking of adding some meat products, wild caught salmon is super-healthy, we eat it frequently (about $2 per serving at Trader Joe's). Get plenty of good fats, douse your veggies in olive oil vinaigrette and keep up your avocados!

Seriously though, pay attention to B vitamins, calcium, iron, and essential fats. There's info about all these nutrients in that paper.

I hope you feel better.

EDIT: I should clarify. The more restrictions you place on yourself, the more you have to work to get a wide variety of micronutrients and a proper balance of macronutrients through your diet alone. Raw vegan diets can work, but they take serious effort -- and I hate saying that about any vegetarian diet, because with less restriction, even a standard vegan diet, it's actually quite simple to eat healthfully as long as you incorporate lots and lots of variety!

[SadieKate]

Autumn, I didn't say "radical" I said "rapid." It sounds like you've increased your exercise level also? So, if you're putting on muscle from the exercise and have still lost 20lbs in 12 weeks, it seems pretty rapid. I always thought the rule of thumb for healthy weightloss was 1 to 1.5 per lbs per week. Your body may be seeing this weight loss as a famine situation and may be reacting. I think your plan to re-introduce some foods is a good idea. Be very careful about the blurriness and vision. Would you keep us posted on this?

[AutumnBreez]

Autumn, I didn't say "radical" I said "rapid." It sounds like you've increased your exercise level also? So, if you're putting on muscle from the exercise and have still lost 20lbs in 12 weeks, it seems pretty rapid. I always thought the rule of thumb for healthy weightloss was 1 to 1.5 per lbs per week. Your body may be seeing this weight loss as a famine situation and may be reacting. I think your plan to re-introduce some foods is a good idea. Be very careful about the blurriness and vision. Would you keep us posted on this?

I really don't want to get fat again...I still have some to lose but don't mind slowly. I want to invite the food but not too fast because my body has not had it for a while.
Purhaps you ladies could give me some good sound menu for a couple of days. whole grain toast with peanut butter/or almond butter. Eggs- should I only have the whites? I want to have the energy to ride and train.

[LBTC]

Eggs- should I only have the whites? I want to have the energy to ride and train.

NO!! The yolks have all of those hard-to-get fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K), and other stuff I know little about! One egg has around 70 calories and is one of the purest proteins around. Keep boiled eggs handy as a snack!!

Do try to find free range or high quality eggs. I judge by the colour of the yolk - the darker the yolk, the more nutrients there are, which of course is determined by the feed the chickens get. I buy a brand called born three and the feed is geared toward providing an egg with high Omega 3, high Vitamin E, and they say they use no by-animal products or antibiotics.

eat eggs! yum!

and I agree with so many of the other girls: dizziness and blurred vision are scary. are you eating things with any artificial sweeteners? those can cause those symptoms in some people. I also agree that your weight loss does sound too fast. And I think it's great that you are slowly reintroducing the foods your body craves back into your diet. I'm sorry about the aversion to green foods, though...weirdly enough that sounds like a symptom of pregnancy! woah! are you sure that's not it?

Good luck!!

Namaste,
~T~

[LBTC]

Trek!!

Can you find another job?? OUCH!! That sounds horrible!! I could not function without eating at my desk, especially if I were to work out at lunch!! I don't know how you can manage that!!! Lunch is my biggest meal of the day, I try to pack as much nutrition into it as I can. I generally workout right after work - and try to have a snack with protein and carbs at about 3:00 to ensure I'm fueled for that. I snack lighter if I'm going to do yoga, or even weights (as I do quite light weights), but heavier if it's kickboxing day or a mountain bike ride.

Good luck!
~T~

[Trek420]

~T~ writes "That sounds horrible!! I could not function without eating at my desk, especially if I were to work out at lunch!! I don't know how you can manage that!!!"

well, I don't know how I do either but I'm working on that. I applied for a transfer to another job in the co earlier this year but then canceled because I'd end up in San Ramon, adding another half hour to the commute.

I may yet transfer, been thnking about testing tech. But all in all it's pretty good where I am. The plus side:

I get more vacation than most people

Benefits are great

We're a union company, I probably earn 3x what non-union folks in my field do (the flip side of that is what I do is waaay more complex than other jobs, it's even harder than what my peers in the same job and same company do)

We're union, if I have issues with my boss I don't have to sweat it, just keep doing a fabulous job and let the steward take care of it.

I have a great manager and we have a group of good managers in my office, some of the best in the company. I'm not messing with that. If i transfered who knows what I'd get.

I'm a few steps away from BART, or if I bike ride....a nice spin around the lake from BART.

[AutumnBreez]

NO!! The yolks have all of those hard-to-get fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K), and other stuff I know little about! One egg has around 70 calories and is one of the purest proteins around. Keep boiled eggs handy as a snack!!

Do try to find free range or high quality eggs. I judge by the colour of the yolk - the darker the yolk, the more nutrients there are, which of course is determined by the feed the chickens get. I buy a brand called born three and the feed is geared toward providing an egg with high Omega 3, high Vitamin E, and they say they use no by-animal products or antibiotics.

eat eggs! yum!

and I agree with so many of the other girls: dizziness and blurred vision are scary. are you eating things with any artificial sweeteners? those can cause those symptoms in some people. I also agree that your weight loss does sound too fast. And I think it's great that you are slowly reintroducing the foods your body craves back into your diet. I'm sorry about the aversion to green foods, though...weirdly enough that sounds like a symptom of pregnancy! woah! are you sure that's not it?

Good luck!!

Namaste,
~T~

I had a tubal ligation 10years ago in which they cauterized besides cutting a section out. No pregnancy...just had my cycle this last week as well. Just too low in carbs and protein as everyone has suspected. I must use up the carbs too quick and the protein available must not be enough. Went to a party this evening for my husbands co worker and did have a spoon of taco layered dip with a few nachos to dip with, had a cup of cranberry juice and refilled cup with water the rest of the time, had about 3 glasses of water...then had a half of a brownie, later some carrot sticks. Earlier today had the chicken. I feel like I have pigged out though. This is all I have had today.

I am trying to preplan my food for tomorrow so that I can be in better control. Morning: I will have a couple of scrambled eggs with onion and green pepper.
Snack on apple or orange, or couple of dates and walnuts. Lunch I think a chicken/or salmon salad. snack later on some brown bread with almond butter. Dinner: Grilled chicken and grilled veggies with side of rice. I plan to ride mountain bike with my son in morning shortly after breakfast is done and cleaned up. Do a load of laundry and go for an couple of hours on the bikes. Come back, shower, and have a salad with the left over chicken from todays. Do little chores around house. Later in the day
maybe go for a road bike loop of 14 miles. Will this be too much food? I plan to eat from a saucer to keep portions smaller.

[alison_in_oh]

Just too low in carbs and protein as everyone has suspected. I must use up the carbs too quick and the protein available must not be enough.

Yeah, I'm with the person who suggested it was related to bonking. I bonked at the end of last summer on a day where I was riding through lunchtime after having had only a piece of fruit for breakfast. I was intentionally trying to stress my body (having a bad body image day and trying to starve myself for calories) but I had no idea it'd react that way! I felt drunk and couldn't move my legs to save my life -- and that was after only 15-20 miles, when I was accustomed to 30-40 at that point!

I am trying to preplan my food for tomorrow so that I can be in better control. Morning: I will have a couple of scrambled eggs with onion and green pepper.
Snack on apple or orange, or couple of dates and walnuts. Lunch I think a chicken/or salmon salad. snack later on some brown bread with almond butter. Dinner: Grilled chicken and grilled veggies with side of rice. I plan to ride mountain bike with my son in morning shortly after breakfast is done and cleaned up. Do a load of laundry and go for an couple of hours on the bikes. Come back, shower, and have a salad with the left over chicken from todays. Do little chores around house. Later in the day
maybe go for a road bike loop of 14 miles. Will this be too much food? I plan to eat from a saucer to keep portions smaller.

Above all, listen to your body. Please, please don't fret about calories or quantities. Eat slowly if that's what it takes to make sure you register fullness before overeating, but otherwise ENJOY your food! Why do you think the French can eat multi-course high-fat meals and still have less obesity than the US? They take their time about it and truly savor what they eat!

But that sounds like a very healthful day of eating. If you're still hungry after your morning snack, feel free to munch again but on something less sugary.

Depending on how easy or strenuous you find your ride, you might want to plan a fairly starchy after-ride snack, too.

[AutumnBreez]

What do you eat on average?

[alison_in_oh]

What do you eat on average?

Let's see. Last night's dinner through today's snack is a pretty good example of eating well. Last night was poached silver salmon with soy sauce and garlic and ginger (I had about a 3-4 oz portion) and whole wheat couscous pilaf (with cumin, cayenne, onion, and parsley!). The ubiquitous side is a nice big tossed salad, this time I went with red leaf lettuce, bell pepper, cucumber, tomato, and walnuts (hubby adds blue cheese) with homemade olive oil vinaigrette dressing.

Breakfast was Kashi Go Lean cereal mixed into 6 oz of organic yogurt. I've got the serious munchies so I had my pear and Clif bar before lunch. Lunch was prepackaged miso soup with udon noodles. Again, munchies, I ended up with a big handful of trail mix (mostly sunflower seeds and peanuts plus a few chocolate candies and raisins). I'll be going to spinning class tonight and chances are dinner will be Trader Joe's organic pesto pizza (with tomatoes and broccoli) and a tossed salad. That's not quite enough calories for us, so I predict both hubby and I will hit the kitchen for a peanut butter sandwich before bed!

When I add up the calories and such from a typical day like this, I tend to end up with ~1800 calories, something like 55/35/15 percent from carbo/fat/protein. For this particular menu it'd be too complicated, but I feel right if I get a definite protein source at every meal, if I enjoy and savor my food, and if I allow enough time between meals to get honestly hungry.

Hope this helps! Oh, I also notice a definite difference in my energy levels and the quality of my hair and nails if I take a daily multivitamin. I tend to go for anything with about 45% rda of calcium, 100% of folic acid and iron, and all the other goodies in a multivit/mineral.

[Jo-n-NY]

I really do not think feeling dizzy and blurred vision is a good thing and agree with the others in saying I think you should go to a dr. I will also offer this info:

I just began reading the book by Nancy Clark Cyclists Food Guide. In a way it is basic common sense, but it is giving me good ideas, for one, there is no reason to ever go hungry. Here is one is their food pyramid:

the numbers are servings per day:
6-11 whole grains; 2-4 fruit; 3-5 vegtable; 2-3 protein; 2-3 low fat dairy; saturated fats and refined sugar use sparingly.

I know for my weight I would have the lowest #.

She gives an example for one day which is a very realistic one and not difficult:

Breakfast: Cereal; banana; milk
Snack; pretzels; yogurt
Lunch: bread; orange; vegetable soup; peanut butter
Dinner: spaghetti; tomato sauce, broccoli; cheese; ground turkey
Snack: popcorn; juice

She gives lists of food for all catagories, just a wealth of ideas. Of course you have to be honest with portion control and how many servings for your body type.

The last chapter is called the In Pursuit of Thinness. I did not get this far, but at a glance I see this: appropriate eating + regular exercise = appropriate weight. We all probably know this already, but keeping it in mind is sometimes difficult.

I think I might actually gain a couple of pounds by this, but I had lost more than I planned to. Then again, I might have more energy for my cycling and I just might stay the same. I just think the whole concept is a good one and thought I would share it.

[Irulan]

I really do not think feeling dizzy and blurred vision is a good thing and agree with the others in saying I think you should go to a dr. I will also offer this info:

those are classic signs of a serious bonk which is a major indicator of not fueling your body correctly. I know you aren't doing atkins, but many atkins eaters report similar symptoms: thier bodies are starved for quality carbohydrates and protien at times.

irulan

[bounceswoosh]

those are classic signs of a serious bonk which is a major indicator of not fueling your body correctly. I know you aren't doing atkins, but many atkins eaters report similar symptoms: thier bodies are starved for quality carbohydrates and protien at times.

irulan

Atkins eaters being starved for protein?

Carbs I understand, but protein? What am I missing?