Eating in the Zone is something I have been doing since 3 months after starting CrossFit. When Brendan told me that eating this way would improve my performance i was very sceptical. Being an endurance athlete means mostly carbs, low fat, some protein - duh- everybody knows that way of thinking if you are considered any type of endurance person. So..I took on the challenge, eagar to find out if this "Zone" way of eatting would really improve my race times, muscle recovery, strength and everything else B claimed it would do for me. I started 6 weeks before the Silicon Valley Marathon in October of 2005 and the withdrawals from sugar began. I swore I was going to starve if i didn't have more food - or my stamina was going to disappear if i didn't "carb load" before my long run training days. But I stuck with it and eventually the feelings of starvation subsided, and I started feeling better than I have in a while. I was now eating the food my body needed, not what i wanted to give it, or what I have been told it needed. Marathon day quickly approached and I was now eatting 3 eggs, 1 english muffin and avocado at 5am instead of my signature huge bowl of instant oatmeal, brown sugar and bananas. I ended up running the first 18 miles faster than I ever have, and finished in 3:30:31 - first in my age division and 5th woman overall. I recovered faster even though I had severe muscle cramps after finishing - I think just from running so fast at first. All this to say I believe eating the Zone way is amazing and it has proven itself to me in my life. When I step out of the Zone I definitely notice a difference in the way I look, feel, and perform. So here is goes - the way we should eat is :
meat & vegetables, nuts & seeds, little fruit, some starch, no sugar. Check out CrossFit Journal Issue #21 where coach breaks it all down for you in an easy way to understand and follow.
Eating in the Zone is something I have been doing since 3 months after starting CrossFit. When Brendan told me that eating this way would improve my performance i was very sceptical. Being an endurance athlete means mostly carbs, low fat, some protein - duh- everybody knows that way of thinking if you are considered any type of endurance person. So..I took on the challenge, eagar to find out if this "Zone" way of eatting would really improve my race times, muscle recovery, strength and everything else B claimed it would do for me. I started 6 weeks before the Silicon Valley Marathon in October of 2005 and the withdrawals from sugar began. I swore I was going to starve if i didn't have more food - or my stamina was going to disappear if i didn't "carb load" before my long run training days. But I stuck with it and eventually the feelings of starvation subsided, and I started feeling better than I have in a while. I was now eating the food my body needed, not what i wanted to give it, or what I have been told it needed. Marathon day quickly approached and I was now eatting 3 eggs, 1 english muffin and avocado at 5am instead of my signature huge bowl of instant oatmeal, brown sugar and bananas. I ended up running the first 18 miles faster than I ever have, and finished in 3:30:31 - first in my age division and 5th woman overall. I recovered faster even though I had severe muscle cramps after finishing - I think just from running so fast at first. All this to say I believe eating the Zone way is amazing and it has proven itself to me in my life. When I step out of the Zone I definitely notice a difference in the way I look, feel, and perform. So here is goes - the way we should eat is : meat & vegetables, nuts & seeds, little fruit, some starch, no sugar. Check out CrossFit Journal Issue #21 where coach breaks it all down for you in an easy way to understand and follow.
6 comments:
Okay so when I read the Zone book it just looked so complicated that I said forget it! So...how about we get together the week of the 27th and teach me. Pretty please????
Tracy,
So many people make it way more complicated than it really is...promise! I'd love to get together with you...want to come up here ? BTW I got my level 1 cert as a CrossFit trainer....are you and Brian ready for me to kick your asses and tell you what to eat now ?? hee hee :) Give me a cal in the evening - Bri has my cell number. take care
I do not know, that does not look like it would be enough food for me :)
Brian,
well if you read the Zone books - you will know that the formula is different for everybody. I am considered a small female, therefore I am a 10 blocks a day. I break it up into 5 2 block meals. That pic is my breakfast, 2 blocks. You would probably be a 3 or 4 block - so roughly double what is in the pic. Get it ? :)
I was actually listening to the book on my iPod, but then I was only half way paying attention :) When I saw the pic I figured you lose weight by not eating on this diet (lifestyle) :)
I do get it.
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