Paleo Diet for Athletes - review (Page 3)

Thanks for your input Gerrard - I do appreciate it.

I should probably mention that my definition of crap is probably vastly differently than non-triathletes or people who are not well educated on nutrition. To me "crap" is any kind of processed food - especially carbs. I don't pig out on potato chips and ding dongs all day long. I do however, eat too many carbohydrates, and probably too much dairy. Friel explains in The Triathlete's Training Bible (and probably Paleo for Athletes) that this is the reason why despite serious training and eating a "healthy" diet, some athletes are unable to lose body fat. I've also noticed that the more carbs I eat, the more I crave. I don't view the Paleo "Diet" as a quick weight-loss diet, but as a healthy lifestyle I would love to keep.

I've done Paleo in the past and felt wonderful. It doesn't have to be all or nothing for me. I just need to remember to only eat carbs before, during and after workouts... and eat a good balance of unprocessed foods the rest of the time.

I haven't read about Paleo before, but this all sounds very insteresting.  I'm glad everyone's been chiming in.  My question: how does whey protein powder fit in the mix?

I'm trying to keep my food expenses low, and have little time to prepare food, so meats haven't been a large source of protein for me.  Is whey protein powder ok, even though it's derived from dairy?

Thanks, and best of luck to those trying out the diet!

Hi everyone,

I'm doing my first triathlon tomorrow and have decided to start the Paleo diet right after. I was wondering if the guys already doing great on it could post what they eat right before, during, and after workouts depending on the time of the workout and when you have two workouts in a day? Just to get some ideas to get some variation.

Also in the preworkout meal would it be okay to eat fx bread there or oatmeal before the morning workout? Or should it still be nonprocessed food?

Hope to get some great inputs

Lonnie

Great info! I've been doing the "cave man" diet off an on and in modified forms for a couple years. When I stick to it the benefits are remarkable! My energy it up and weight down. When I fall off the wagon and go back to my bad eatin habits is when I really notice the difference. My weight go up fast and my energy goes down and my workout suffer. The diet works, it the disipline that's the hard part.

Thanks Gerrard.

Just got back from the supermarket where I bought nothing but caveman foods.  I think it's the first time I've done a week's worth of shopping without going down any of the aisles, but rather just walk the perimeter.  Very excited!  Coincidentally, I ended up spending much less than I would have otherwise.

I'll post once I have a grasp on how my body's handling it.

Hey everyone - glad to see my original post has generated some interesting discussion! I encourage the people that are trying it/going to try it not to listen to the commentary from people who haven't even done the plan. I love seeing people write how the paleo diet doesn't make sense, it couldn't work, it's too hard....etc and then find out they actually haven't tried it! Again, it takes a good 3-4 weeks of sticking with it before you will really see the benefits associated with eating this way AND can actually give an intelligent review of how you like it.

Quick update on me - my season is in full swing and I'm racing better than ever. I've eaten paleo since January and now weigh ~164 @ 7% bodyfat. It's certainly not for everybody but if you can be disciplined enough to give it a shot it's an excellent nutritional program for endurance athletes.

So here's a really important question.....  How has this diet affected your brain, or level of sharpness??  I discussed this diet with a friend of mine who is a grad student in bio, and she said that a lack of glycogen would make it hard for my brain to be as smart as it can be.

This is a bit of an issue to me since i'm still in school, and am an engineering major.

So what affects, good or bad, have you noticed with your  brain and intelligence?

So here's a really important question.....  How has this diet affected your brain, or level of sharpness??  I discussed this diet with a friend of mine who is a grad student in bio, and she said that a lack of glycogen would make it hard for my brain to be as smart as it can be.

This is a bit of an issue to me since i'm still in school, and am an engineering major.

So what affects, good or bad, have you noticed with your  brain and intelligence?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but your glycogen stores are replenished by the massive amounts of fruits and vegetables you eat. 

That's where most/all of your carbs will come from, with the exception of the simple carbs that you'd get before/during/after exercise.

 

Well I'm no "bio major" but that just sounds silly.

 

You eat plenty of carbs on the Paleo diet, most of them come from fruit and vegies as opposed to bread/pasta ect.

Edited by Mirg 2009-06-24 12:40 AM

Plus, there are specific instructions for replacing glycogen stores after long workouts.  I don't think there's anything your brain needs that you'll be lacking on this diet.  It's a somewhat reduced carb plan, but nothing like Atkins or crazy no-carb deals.

I was in France for a week on vacation where eating the paleo diet was nearly impossible, but now I'm back into the swing of things.  One thing I noticed was that even with a week of eating bread again, I don't feel as if I put on a lot of weight.  Maybe it was my imagination, but I felt like the baseline established through a few weeks of the Paleo diet made it possible to keep trim even during the break.

Wow, just when I thought I heard it all. Not really sure how to respond to that except to say that I'm still sharp as a tack

To be fair, I had a co-worker try Atkins (he was also an educational psychologist).
He stated that he did not realize it at the time, but once he got back to eating normal carbs - he realized in retrospect that he exhibited signs and symptoms similar to depression - which did depress his work output.

As previously mentioned, this does not carb restrict like Atkins, but it makes the question fair to ask.

Eeeeerrrrr! Wrong. Atkins restricts carb intake the 1st 2 weeks to 20 carbs a day (for those not too active) and anywhere between 20 and 30 grams a day for those that try to be active like us! The maintenance stage of Atkins is where an individual needs to determine how many carbs a day is adequate without putting weight back on. I know people that once they reached the lifetime maintenance stage of Atkins they were eating around 50 or 60 grams or carbs a day and still losing weight.

Most people only know Atkins from the headlines or from those that did not educate themselves before diving into it. I never realized that salads were so bad. Or broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, onions, tomoatoes, collared greens, asparagus, spinich, olives, etc. Just a TON of misinformation out there.

And what was his definition of "NORMAL" carbs? soft pretzels, rolls, bread, cereal and pasta. processed foods and sugar. Those aren't real carbs. Real carbs to me are legumes, soy, rice and vegetables with some fruits sprinkled in there too (sorry - no oranges and banannas).

Atkins, South Beach, the Glycemic Diet & Paleo are all deriviatives of each other - just a couple of minor differences.

Edited by michael2_19030 2009-06-24 3:34 PM

K so now i'm thinking of going paleolithic.  I may even ditch my car while i'm at it, and stick to my feet or bicycle (jk).  

Do i have to buy the book in order to do this right?  Cause i hate reading, and i've got a lot of required reading to do already. 

I'm confused.  What do you mean when you say these foods are bad? 

Sorry sarcasm. There are a lot of people that believe all the misinformation about Atkins and basically say it is a bad diet. They don't realize that a large percentage of your meals are composed of high fiber, low glycemic fruits and vegetables.

The Atkins Diet is not about sitting down to eat a 20oz steak with 1lb of bacon. There are a lot of people that believe that.

Oh, sorry.  Thanks for the clarification.  I've read the Atkins literature and it's definitely more than steak, cream, butter and bacon.  I do have some issues, and think it's not great for athletes.  Even the maintenance stage is severely reduced carbohydrates.  Paleo for Athletes does differentiate itself, in my opinion, from the similar ones you mention in that it gives detailed instructions of how to break from the general diet for before/during/after exercise.

I need some feedback from athletes who are doing paleo and have found it beneficial. How long did it take you to start feeling the benefit of increased energy? and could you give me your thoughts on whether I'm doing it right? Here is a typical day.

Pre a.m. workout, banana and coffee (these are my key workouts, usually from 60-90 minutes long)

post workout smoothie w/ one scoop of whey, 1/2 c. OJ, 1/2 frozen banana and 1 c. frozen strawberries

2nd breakfast - two eggs, two whites and 1/4 melon

2nd workout is short run or 1/2 hour weights.

lunch - big gianormous salad w/ lots of dark leafy greens, 4-5 oz chicken breast, 1/4 avocado, few walnuts and dried cranberries. Olive oil and lemon juice dressing (where do you buy flaxseed oil? I cant find it)

Dinner - 4-5 oz of pork, fish or chicken, sweet potato, another salad, not quite as big, same dressing. 4 oz red wine

I feel like I'm eating buckets of food but my calorie intake is still probably around 2,000/day.

I am really looking for something to give me more energy, losing a few pounds would be nice but not necessary. I'm doing far less training right now (8-9 hours per week) and am soooo tired. Historically I've managed much much more volume and at much faster paces.

Any thought/feedback greatly appreciated.

Sounds like a perfect day to me!  Except for the sweet potato, everything is Paleo approved - even coffee and wine in moderation.

It didn't take me long to start feeling well energized, maybe 2 weeks.  Apples are a great burst of energy you might try if you are in need of a boost.  I always take gels before a workout unless it's very short (less than 40 min) and take them throughout if it's longer than an hour.  Are you getting enough sleep?  I find I sleep better since starting this diet, but definitely need it.

I also think it's absolutely necessary to have meals off, and make sure you get fun, though still healthy foods.  My cheat meals usually involve potatoes or whole wheat pasta or buckwheat pancakes or sushi....

Hang in there for at least 4 weeks, I'd say.  It may not end up being the best diet for you.  If you don't feel good after about that long, maybe start adding back in some healthy whole grains, like oatmeal. 

Edited by slkirsch 2009-06-30 1:14 PM

Thanks for the input. I do plan to stick w/ it for a few weeks. I'm certainly no more tired now than I was before and it has only been a week. I have been sleeping better and have also noticed that my sugar cravings have eased up quite a bit which for me that is huge as sugar is pretty much my drug of choice.

I just read through this thread, and I've got a question:  are there any women out there that are successfully following the Paleo diet?  I don't want to bore everybody with a long dissertation here, but I've noticed in a lifetime of being an athletic woman around athletic men, it seems us gals tend to have a tougher time with lower carb diets.  Maybe I'm completely wrong about that, it's just a strong impression.  Anybody else have any thoughts on this?

I'm a woman.  I think I have a vague memory of some studies showing differences between female and male metabolism specifically regarding carbohydrate/sugar intake, but I don't want to swear to anything and can't easily do a search right now.  Andecdotally, my evidence agrees with yours - it's really tough for the gals. 

As far as I know, though, there's no significant evidence showing that non-pregnant or nursing women need a different balance of maco nutrients than men.   Small differences, sure, just as there are with individuals, but nothing to make me think women need more or less protein etc. than men do. 

If low-carb diets are really hard for you, that might mean they aren't the best for you.  Of course, it might also mean they are exactly what you need, so always best to speak with a qualified doctor or nutritionist as you try different approaches.   Remember that carbohydrates aren't evil.  The paleo diet happens to work for me, but I won't for an instant say that those who follow a diet with lots of whole grains are doing something wrong.  I really do think that everyone's balance point is a little different, and if you don't "hit your stride" with one diet and start to feel great, then maybe there's no point in pushing any longer.  Or maybe a somewhat modified version would be better? 

I think diets are harder for women in many ways than for men anyway due to the excessive emotional and societal baggage that accompanies how we think about our weight (yes, I know it's often hard for men as well) so maybe that's a part of it.  Or maybe we get more cravings than men? Ok - I'm going to stop before I say something that will get me flamed...

Sarah