tips from athletes?...

[martianwarrior]

any martial artists or athletes in general have any tips to offer???

i think i have the diet under control pretty good, at least for this only being my first full day on the diet. the only thing i need to watch is too much selenium (coconut milk) which i suppose would qualify as a much food?... i guess real coconut once in a while would be better.

i also need to get my hands on massive amounts of oranges to get my calcium levels up and to sip on to keep me going. i found myself yawning in between a gap of the third and fourth meal.

other than that, i checked my diet with the nutrient calculator and most of the vitamins are just about right if not a little bit over. i'm 5'10" about 150-160(haven't been on a scale for a while) and i took in about 3600 or more calories today. (not sure since coconut oil isn't on the nutrient calc list and i didn't really measure everything)

i don't think i space my meals out as much as others do. 6 i think would be my limit. 7+ meals just seems crazy to me! i'm coming from an all organic diet including grass fed meats(lots of organs) lots of grains and veggies being the focus of meals, 2 fruits a day max, used to eating very light breakfast and two bigger meals following. no protein powders or supplements.

i had 5 today, 4 before my workout without sipping orange juice between meals and almost made it through my full workout, which is pretty intense, with a full proper stretching and warm up and cool down. like i said... almost

although, i've been struggling to make it through my workouts pre-wai anyway and hadn't worked out for the past 3 days since i was trying to tweak my diet, trying to figure out why i was having energy drops and then i stumbled on the wai diet. i actually felt like i had a tad more energy today during the workout and definitely noticed more power in my punches and kicks than before. i felt lighter on my feet too.

i think the orange juice EVOO combo will really help.

okay i'm done rambling on about myself... any tips? flaws to be pointed out?

[Oscar]

You seem to have a pretty good idea, and 3600kcal should be enough. Probably coming from a 3 meal-a-day regimen 6 meals is a good start. What constitutes a meal for you at the moment?

The calcium RDA is far too high, so you don't need to bother getting close to that. OJ+OO(+sugar) is excellent for fine tuning the blood sugar level. It does take some time to get used to listen to what/when/how much the body needs though. You can sip OJ during a workout, so no need to only rely on blood sugar+glycogen.

[martianwarrior]

What constitutes a meal for you at the moment?

this is what my first full day looked like... i probably could have used less of some things and more of others, some of the portions might be off, i can't remember everything exactly, but just to give you an idea...

9am 3 medium Bananas, 3 kiwis, coconut oil and .25 cup coconut milk blended creating 4 cups. (this morning i cut out the coconut milk, so i'll have to compensate for those calories) i drank 2 cups of it to start the day.

11:30am a pear, granny smith apple, about .5 cup of cherries and almost a cup of grapes, about .333 cup of figs and .25 cup dates, .5 cup of cucumber with EVOO.

1:30pm 10-12 brazil nuts, .25 cup figs, about .333 cup coconut milk.

3:30 after this i finish the coconut-banana-kiwi mix.

workout.

before 6pm .5 cup cucumber, .25 cup tomato and (1) avocado salad with about .333 cup of EVOO sea salt and black pepper. 3 egg yolks.

i drink water between all of these meals, probably about 6-8 oz each time.


btw, when you seperate the yolk from the sack i find it really difficult to keep the sack from dropping with the yolk. i already read what you or someone else said about this in another section. does the sack equate to much after the yolk runs out? it all happened so quickly! lol

[Oscar]

What do you eat after the 6pm meal?

There are different methods for getting the yolk out, but I find the easiest is just to gently grab the yolk between thumb and fingers, and let it rest near the tips of the fingers. then use a knife to prick a small hole into the end so the yolk runs out. Keep holding on to the sack.
It's not a problem if you eat (part of) the sack, so don't worry.

[martianwarrior]

i don't eat after 6pm. the weakest time for the stomach is at 7pm, so the earlier you can eat before that and give that food time to digest, the better.

it's also a good idea to leave as much time between your last meal and the most active time for the liver which i believe is around 2-4am, if i remember correctly. doing this also allows me to unwind and sleep better.

since it's best to rest and not eat for 1.5 hours after protein dense meal, i can't imagine i'd be doing my body any good eating around 8:30-9:30pm. i don't feel hungry at all after the last meal.

also, i've upped my yolks to 5 yesterday and i felt even more satisfied after the last meal.

[Oscar]

So how much time is there between the 6pm meal and the time you go to bed?

Why is 7pm the weakest time for the stomach?

The reason you're not hungry after 6pm is because your body isn't used to eating after 6pm. In order to limit insulin usage and always be "on top of things" energy wise, it's best to always have the glycogen depots as full as possible and just replenish blood sugar. This means eating smaller meals/snacks more often, but it also means no sudden energy drops.

[martianwarrior]

i usually lay down between 10:30 - 11.

according to the chinese body clock between 7-9pm is the most active and thus the weakest time for the stomach. i know some people aren't keen on using ancient methods, but when i look at it, it makes sense to me. the whole point of utilizing this is to allow ample time before the most active time for the liver.

the most active time for the liver is between i think, 11pm-3am the liver is responsible for glycogen storage and metabolism of carbohydrates... i suppose since we aren't packing in the more dense hard to digest foods, it wouldn't be a bad idea to eat closer to this time.

what's the closest time to this period, do you think, that i'd be able to eat after the post workout protein meal without oxertaxing my liver at night and allowing my body to properly repair itself? also, what should i eat?

i have to say, what i've been doing so far is working quite well, but i'm open to further experiment and i haven't tried any raw fish yet. can't wait!

[Oscar]

So between 6pm and 10:30pm is quite a long time without energy. How do you feel in the morning? Starving, hungry, neutral, full of energy?

I wonder what the chinese clock is based upon. If it's based on a 3-meals-a-day schedule, then 7-9pm seems like the right time (after the big dinner). Of course that doesn't hold true for us.
Also, it seems to me the body adjusts its biorhythm schedule according to our overall schedule. During our sleep the body will take care of repairs and maintenance.

Personally I eat up until 30 mins before going to bed. Usually my last meal is a banana with coconut oil, sometimes an added second fruit.

On a side note: which martial art do you practice?

[martianwarrior]

i'd say i feel slightly weak when i wake up, not extremely though. just morning stiffness and tired feeling. i don't feel hungry until a little bit after i pass a stool.

i should point out that i was diagnosed with arthritis when i was 9. i now know is pretty much just a name they give for a kind of nutritional deficiency. i recently realized that i was most likely subject to candida overgrowth at a very young age and my body has been fighting it since as i was getting athletes foot at the age of three and some other symptoms i've had throughout the years have pointed to excess candida. i'm also certain that, as most of us do, i have some sort of parasite messing with me. perhaps i'm wrong about the candida, i've been sent on a wild goose chase with my health problems. doctors have never ever helped me. but never the less, my mom fed me nutri-soy formula or something like that, which i'm sure was great for me ...

as far as the body clock... according to ancient chinese people should either eat 3(hard working) 2 or 1(for the extremely disciplined) meals a day. they actually suggest eating the last meal around 3 or 4 which is definitely just not practical. the more i think about it, you're probably right, given the fact that i've only been on the wai system for 4 days now and my digestion is already on point. and i mean flawless. i'm still getting gas, but not nearly as much as the first two days.

i'm just wondering about eating fruit after the yolks which is the last thing i eat in at my 6pm meal. how long could/should i wait?


basically, i'm a self-trained freestyle mixed martial artist. i wrestled for a little bit in elementary school, my brother taught me some karate. i've developed a few moves that are you unique to me, i incorporate more acrobatics, ninja rolls and cartwheels into kicks and punch combos. i can't really afford any formal training right now, i'm just barely making enough money through odd jobs and temp jobs to keep eating. i've been unemployed since last october. really, i've only been training as a mixed martial artist for about a year, so some probably wouldn't call me a martial artist based on that, but w/e... i challenge them to fight me! lol jk.

i've been wanting to take up tai chi, which is more of a meditative thing. however, when the movements are sped up, they can be deadly. the actual meditation that you do before going through movements i really like because i used to try traditional seated meditation but with tai chi you meditate standing up and it really helps develop leg strength. but, in order to truly learn tai chi, i MUST find a tai chi master which usually cost money to learn from. not many do it for free and it's hard to learn on your own. very different from other martial arts.

[martianwarrior]

i was also wondering if it's possible to take in all the fats(oils) i need in the morning or withing the first few meals and then just supplement with fruit the rest of the day until my protein meal?

[martianwarrior]

i found my answer regarding how long to wait after the protein meal to eat fruit or drink oj... it seems best to wait till about 8-8:30 to eat fruit. i sip some oj before that if i feel any weakness or if i yawn.

tried some sushi grade tuna from my local market today. it was delicious and i got to share some with my cat! she even started licking egg yolk from my mug!! lol i thought that was strange...

i also made it up to 7 meals. i think that will be my limit unless i notice i need to eat more or more often and spaced out. the oj mix really does help...

i thought i found a pretty good deal on organic oranges today... 80 count for $25. that works out to about 32 cents per orange. i think that's the best i'll find around here, but i'll keep looking.

still curious about being able to store up my body with fats in the a.m.


sorry if i'm asking questions that are found in the book. it's taking me a while to absorb it and get through all of it. i do everything slow.

[Oscar]

Yep, waiting after yolks/fish is 1-1.5hrs or so. Like you said, drinking OJ is easiest then.

Slightly weak isn't so bad, but it probably means your glycogen depots might be emptier than they could be (because you might use the glycogen during the night before). Anyway, keep experimenting.

No, it's better to combine sugars with fat throughout the day. This makes meals last longer and burdens the insulin system the least.

Cats know what is good for them. They also want raw food.

You don't often hear people being a self-styled martial artist, interesting. My choice would be Wing Tjun (the basic style can be spelled a number of ways, but this organization has the complete style, whereas others don't). You can read more on http://www.wingtjun.nl/. The Yip Man style is the more known and is practiced/taught by most schools (Wing Tsun, Wing Chun, Ving Tsun, Ving Chun, etc), however the Siu Lam style encompasses that and is far more complete and effective.

[martianwarrior]

Cats know what is good for them. They also want raw food. Smile

haha, definitely! i'm going to try and start feeding them food that is more natural to them. i have two... the other one is a big fat scaredy cat and loves the commercial canned food. she wouldn't touch the raw fish. weird i'm sure she'll come around if i just cut out the canned food. that stuff is really hard on their digestive system poor things.

i'll have to check out this Wing Tjun... i love reading about different martial arts and i've never heard of this or any of the other similar schools.


thanks for all your help Oscar!

[johndela1]

Cats know what is good for them. They also want raw food

What makes you say this? I've tried offering raw vs cooked (meat, liver, other animal parts) to several dogs. They always go for the cooked.

To say with more confidence I'd should make sure both are the same temperature. Maybe, they just don't like cold food.

[martianwarrior]

maybe they go for the cooked for the same reasons that humans do? the smell is so enticing.

also... can a dog cook a steak? raw food is just what's naturally good for them.