P2PU | Nourish(RX) | Week Four - Eating on WOD days vs rest days

Week Four - Eating on WOD days vs rest days

You'll see this section is split into two parts: fat loss & sports performance. Fueling on WOD days vs rest days will be a little bit different depending on which group you are in.

Guidelines that apply to both groups for pre/post-WOD meals:

Complex carbs + protein + fat 3 hours before exercise
Complex carbs + protein 30-60 mins before exercise (NO FAT!)
Simple carbs + protein within 30 mins post WOD (NO FAT for 2-3 hours post wod)
Complex carbs+ protein again 2-3 hours post WOD (can start adding fat at this point)
If you WOD in the morning eat your pre-WOD meal at dinner time the night before.

Food guidelines for both groups:

All of the macronutrients we discuss should come from real, whole foods. Packaged or heavily processed foods have no place in a healthy diet.
Carbohydrates should not be in the form of sugary items. They should be from fruits, starchy veggies, or grains (if you can tolerate them).
When counting your carbohydrates only count fruits, carb dense veggies, and safe starches (or grains, if you tolerate them). [see chart below] Regular vegetables have negligible amounts of carbs.
When counting protein amounts, only count sources that are mainly protein such as meat. Nuts and nut butters, while they contain protein, are predominantly fats and should be counted there.
When counting fat, count true fat sources such as olive oil, coconut oil, nuts/seeds, nut butters. Do not count the fat that comes from meat sources.

Sports Performance

Eating on WOD Days For Sports Performance- The Why

On days that you are working out, you will need to be eating more carbohydrates and protein. Carbohydrates = energy and protein helps with muscle repair. We want to surround a workout with carbohydrates. Eating carbs beforehand gives our body the energy it needs to complete a workout and having carbs afterward replenishes energy stores as well as blunts the cortisol release that naturally happens in our bodies after a workout. [Cortisol=stress hormone. During workouts our body is stressed - in a good way - and cortisol is released. Excess cortisol can lead to belly fat, weight loss resistance, and a myriad of other complications in the body]

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[There is a great list of dense carbs under the "Week 2" tab or check out this one for more ideas!]

Eating on WOD Days For Sports Performance - The How:

Here is a starting equation for you to use. I repeat, this is a STARTING equation which means we may need to tweak this over a period of time to best suit your body. I highly recommend weighing and tracking your food in online/mobile app nutrition trackers for at least a couple of days until you get a handle on how much food this looks like. My Fitness Pal or Calorie Count are good ones, but there are lots others.

Daily Protein Intake:

For those in the lean to ultra-lean category based on the BodPod (22% body fat and under for women, 12% body fat and under for men) = 1 gram protein per pound of body weight per day
For those with body fat higher than what's listed above you may be able to get away with 1 gram per pound of lean body weight per day (your fat free mass).

Daily Carbohydrate Intake:

1.3-2 grams per pound of body weight per day.
This means a 150 pound athlete will be consuming 200-300 grams of carbs/day. If you come from a place of underfueling your body you will need to gradually work up to this amount.
These carbs should be surrounding your workouts. This means that the rest of the day you will be eating only the carbs that come from fibrous veggies, not starchy veggies That same 150 pound athlete would consume 70 grams of carbs at each of the following intervals: 3 hours pre-WOD, 1 hour pre-WOD, immediately post-WOD, 2 hours post-WOD.
If you WOD in the morning you will have a large carbohydrate meal the night before, you will then proceed with your post-WOD meals as described, then eat low carb until dinner time when you will start over again if your plan to WOD the next day.

Daily Fat Intake:

.65g per pound of body weight
Fat makes you feel full and is vitally important to your health. Eating fat during the times when you are eating lower carb throughout the day will keep your energy levels high.
Since fat slows the absorption of protein and carbohydrates you do not want to consume it surrounding your WODS. You want your body to easily be able to tap into the fuel you gave it pre-WOD. You also don't want any delay getting your post-WOD meal into your blood stream so that you can recover as quickly as possible.

Experiment with what works for you! Depending on the type of workout or timing of a workout certain foods may work better for your body. Ideally, you would have a full meal within 3 hours of your workout and then a snack within an hour of your workout. Try to eat as soon as possible after a workout. If you have trouble stomaching whole foods, try a smoothie or protein drink and a simple fruit or vegetable. Eat a full meal within 3 hours post-workout. Tune in and get ready to rock out your workouts!

Eating on Rest Days For For Sports Performance

Daily Protein Intake:

Keep this the same as WOD days

Daily Carbohydrate Intake:

.65g per pound of body weight

Daily Fat Intake:

Keep this the same as WOD days

Fueling on rest days is just as important as WOD days. Due to the lower activity level on WOD days though you can get away with eating a little less, particularly carbs. Don't go ultra low-carb though as your body will be relying on carbohydrates to help it recover.

Fat Loss

Eating on WOD Days for Fat Loss - The Why

Just because you are trying to lose weight does NOT mean you need to severely restrict calories and walk around hungry all the time. That is a recipe for a giant failure. We are teaching you how to fuel your body enough to get through your activities but not so much that you carry excess weight.

Eating on WOD Days for Fat Loss - The How

Daily Protein Intake:

For those in the lean to ultra-lean category based on the BodPod (22% body fat and under for women, 12% body fat and under for men) = 1 gram protein per pound of lean body weight per day
For those with body fat higher than what's listed above = .5g per pound of body weight

Daily Carbohydrate Intake:

Note: This is the same for both the sports performance and the weight loss group. This might sound nuts to you, but we promise it is not. It is the timing and the quality of these nutrients that makes this work.
1.3-2 grams per pound of body weight per day.
This means a 150 pound athlete will be consuming 200-300 grams of carbs/day. If you come from a place of underfueling your body you will need to gradually work up to this amount.
These carbs should be surrounding your workouts. This means that the rest of the day you will be eating only the carbs that come from fibrous veggies, not starchy veggies That same 150 pound athlete would consume 70 grams of carbs at each of the following intervals: 3 hours pre-WOD, 1 hour pre-WOD, immediately post-WOD, 2 hours post-WOD.
If you WOD in the morning you will have a large carbohydrate meal the night before, you will then proceed with your post-WOD meals as described, then eat low carb until dinner time when you will start over again if your plan to WOD the next day.