CrossFit

[Myka]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Something I find is great for morning coffee is coconut milk with a bit of coconut oil, sweetened slightly with liquid stevia. No sugar (as opposed to honey), and the fats from coconut are incredibly good for you.

I've tried Stevia in my coffee, and I'm not ready to pull that off yet! I'm quite happy I managed to switch to honey. Great idea on the coconut milk/cream. I will try that.

All my beef is grass fed, as the omega 3 content is so much higher.

It is sooo expensive! And so lean... I'm not a fan of lean beef. I don't like chunks of fat (yuck), but I nicely marbled ribeye. Nom nom!

One thing that I find really helps is supplementing with fish oil (if you don't eat a ton of fish) as it helps with so much. I take 5g/day. Other supplements should include zinc and magnesium, both helping with hormone function.

I eat skipjack tuna 4-5 times per week, and cod or crab another 3-4 times per month. I do have some fish oil gel caps that I take a few times per week. I have a plethora of supplement pills, but I don't take them religiously.

One thing to remember is now that you're doing something as strenuous as crossfit, make sure you eat enough to fuel the workouts AND the rest of your body function. I find that the further I do this, the more I have to eat just to continue losing weight (weird, right??). I also recommend taking some BCAA during your workout to ensure you're not burning muscle tissue. Just use powdered form in your water bottle.

I wasn't sure what BCAA's were, so I Googled. It's funny you mention it though because I was just looking at information on malto/dextro supplements for post-workout to prevent the release of cortisol and then muscle breakdown. It sounds like BCAA's somehow do a similar thing. More research (on both) is needed.

I just got back from a 9 am CrossFit class and I had half a yam and a chicken breast that I stuffed with ham and cheese. I was thinking the yam was a good post-workout carb source, but from what I am beginning to understand, I think I need something much higher on the GI to prevent the cortisol release - essentially you need a simple sugar/carb.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Myka

It is sooo expensive! And so lean...

Expensive, yes. But all cuts are available. I can't eat the xtra lean, so go with lean ground and it's nice and oily. Fry it up with veggies.

I eat skipjack tuna 4-5 times per week

That got old for me, and mercury content is a concern (I'm told)

More research (on both) is needed.

BCAA's essentially keep a positive amino balance in the blood, particularly leucine, which helps reduce muscle breakdown.

- essentially you need a simple sugar/carb.

I would skip the dextrose until you can see abs. Yam, sweet potato and oatmeal are great post workout carbs, although I usually wait an hour or so to eat any solid food. You want to keep blood supply feeding muscle rather than going to digestive processes. Not a huge concern really, but more an ideal state. I would say for now, BCAA during, lean protein and carbs about an hour after. If you need something right away, go whey isolate shake.

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Finding tomato sauce with added sugar is tough, but it's out there.
.

we make our own tomato sauce every fall now, I grow the tomatoes, the garlic, onions,basil, and the oregano in my guarden so ot is all organic. I don't recall sugar being in the recipe we use, but I would have to check. I can't use that stevia crap it tasts horable so I still use splenda for coffee. we have tried cocunut flower sugar, not good for coffee but works in other things, I use it inplace of the sugar in my BBQ sauce I make.

Steve

[Myka]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

That got old for me, and mercury content is a concern (I'm told)

You have to go pretty nuts on the Skipjack to have any concern about mercury. Yellowfin and Albacore are much more concerning.

I would skip the dextrose until you can see abs. Yam, sweet potato and oatmeal are great post workout carbs, although I usually wait an hour or so to eat any solid food. You want to keep blood supply feeding muscle rather than going to digestive processes. Not a huge concern really, but more an ideal state. I would say for now, BCAA during, lean protein and carbs about an hour after. If you need something right away, go whey isolate shake.

Ok, I was thinking that the dex/malto might be a latter on sort of thing. I did read somewhere that you're better off with a protein isolate shake (and dex/malto if wanted) within 30 mins of working out and then have a meal about 1 hour after the shake. This is all new to me... I've had a protein isolate shake for breakfast for about 10 years, but that's it!

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Myka

within 30 mins of working out and then have a meal about 1 hour after the shake. This is all new to me... I've had a protein isolate shake for breakfast for about 10 years, but that's it!

No, at your age the window is a couple hours at least. As you get older, timing is more important. I'd have a shake within an hour, then another hour for a solid meal. Unless you're really hungry It's not that critical at this stage.
For anyone looking to maximize any fat loss, avoiding insulin spikes in the morning is a good idea. Whey can cause insulin to rise, slowing or stopping any fat burning. If you're ok with not so fast a rate, the shakes for breaky are ok, but an ideal breakfast is protein and fats. Bacon and eggs works. I eat red meat and nuts for breaky, but most people don't think they would enjoy that -lol

[Myka]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

No, at your age the window is a couple hours at least. As you get older, timing is more important. I'd have a shake within an hour, then another hour for a solid meal. Unless you're really hungry It's not that critical at this stage.

Ah ok. I usually need to eat something right away or I will want to snack and will start pilfering the cupboards (where the bad foods are!).

For anyone looking to maximize any fat loss, avoiding insulin spikes in the morning is a good idea. Whey can cause insulin to rise, slowing or stopping any fat burning. If you're ok with not so fast a rate, the shakes for breaky are ok, but an ideal breakfast is protein and fats. Bacon and eggs works. I eat red meat and nuts for breaky, but most people don't think they would enjoy that -lol

Funny you mention that as well since getting one foot on the Paleo bandwagon I have switched half my breakfasts to bacon and eggs. I bought some "natural" bacon and breakfast ham (no preservatives, just pork, salt, and smoke) for twice the price or regular bacon of course, and will bust that out next week when I use up the last of my regular bacon. I'm a bit concerned about the salt content of bacon and ham.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Myka

I'm a bit concerned about the salt content of bacon and ham.

Ya, I try to minimize salt. Makes me puffy

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Ya, I try to minimize salt. Makes me puffy

your ankles swollen?

OK so what are good things to take for lunch supper and snacks if you spend 12 hours driving a truck every day at work?

I know your driving a truck Mindy, don't know how long you spend in it, but my shifts are 12 hours and I get two 10 min breaks and two 30 min breaks a day but no where near anywhere where I can cook things, so what ever I take has to be very easy to prepare and be able to be eaten cold. and preferably while I am driving.

normally I take one sandwich, two apples, two plums, and some sliced sausages and cheese, and some raw veggies (carrots, celery, snow peas)

this is what I am driving now


Steve

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

OK so what are good things to take for lunch supper and snacks if you spend 12 hours driving a truck every day at work?

Define good I eat for purpose, so to me, I'm willing to compromise "good" for good for me. If I'm out on the road for a day, I pack chicken/broccoli stirfry, maybe slices of roast beast and some cheese, nuts, beef jerky, etc. Canned tuna would work too. Although, if you don't have anywhere to heat stuff, that makes it tougher. Cold chicken breast is ok, and I've been seen eating cold ground turkey on the car deck of the ferry You can make wraps from eggs and put your sandwich stuff in that, or other egg recipes.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

OK so what are good things to take for lunch supper and snacks if you spend 12 hours driving a truck every day at work?

I know your driving a truck Mindy, don't know how long you spend in it

I only drive in the winter, but when I am driving I work 12-15 hours and only 8 hours off (not much time to sleep, shower, and make food) so the shift rotates and I work different hours of the day each day. No real scheduled breaks, just roadside checks and waiting to load in the bush or waiting to unload at the mill.

Volume of food is a big thing because you're not burning a lot of calories sitting there. Take lots of veggies that will fill your belly without expanding your belly. Stay away from processed carbs like crackers and bread. You shouldn't eat any processed carbs at all and I would stay away from grains too - even if they aren't processed. Don't forget protein! Boiled eggs, cold chicken nuggets (no bread coating) made with herbs add cheese to them if they are dry to eat, cubes of ham. Canned skipjack tuna (not albacore or yellowfin), salmon, sardines, oysters, etc. Even beef jerky (find something with natural ingredients) and pepperoni is fine. Greek yogurt, cheese. Avoid too much fruit (fructose) - 4 pieces of fruit is way too much. Tomato juice, V8 both good. I'm also learning lots about dietary fat. If you're too hungry, have a serving of fat like avacado or nuts and seeds. Fat doesn't make you fat.