Training & Nutrition - Energy help for a wacky body I need help?

Well my take is pretty weird. For years my body had problems with carbs. This was a slow process that crept up on me without notice. I thin kit was caused by all the antibiotics the docs gave me for stomach problems and later upper repertory infections. Been overweight most of my life because we were poor as kids when my mom ran a fast food place guess where we ate?
Anyway I lost a bunch of weight in college as I was swimming and cycling so much. But when I stopped it all came back.
Well I have always been a walker as I don’t drive and I would walk all day. So I was not a couch potato. So for several years I was trying to loose weight just by eating less. But it never worked. No matter how little I ate I could not lose.
Well when I got a nice bike I started commuting each day too ka bit but then I was able to do 10 miles each way. Then came the battle for more energy. My muscles always felt tired. My arms would feel like they had a workout even if they hardly did anything.
I found lots of fruit helped but only a little. I got sicker and sicker till I was so bad I had all of these food allergies. They caused asthma like problems and sore tired muscles.
Eating the same things everyday and changing when I felt bad I finally found most everything that got me.
All carbs in any form and almost any foods I was not eating when I peaked. So for the lat 1.5 years I have lived on meat some veggies eggs hard cows milk cheese and nuts.
At the worst I would eat atleast 4000 calories a day and loose 2 pounds a week even if I did not ride. My rides got pretty slow too as my lungs or muscles were dead.
Well if I was careful and I did not eat the things that got me (man it was a huge list) I got better. Slowly I got more energy and my rides got faster. I would try new things with no luck. I knew I was far better when I gained weight for the first time.
So I started cutting back on my food intake. I did not feel starved all the time.
So in the last month I could splurge on carby foods for a day or two before I felt lousy and went back to my normal diet. I would not get any energy or maybe no extra energy. Protein was my main fuel. But if course I could not handle whey protein or soy. So it had to come from meat or eggs.
So last week peanuts got me. Here I had been eating them for 1.5 years almost every day. So figure that out. But now when I ate them or say one of those sugar free syrups in my watered down tea it would make my muscles sore and tired. I found out the carbs helped there and if I ate some the ride would be better then without.
So yesterday I had a GU energy gel and I beat my record home. Man I was going it was great. So I tried some dried fruit today and a hammer gel. Not quite as good but this morning I was a bit more tired. So who knows? My energy can vary a fair amount so I have to test something a lot. Not sure if it was the sugar source or just the day. I almost matched the speed but I had to work harder at it.
But I can’t really afford the gels 10 times a week. So I could use some idea’s here. I don’t think I can eat less protein yet and the carbs are not enough. I tired rice and veggies and meat for lunch and rice and meat and veggies for dinner for a week and I was wiped out.
So the gels or something about the same may be the way to go right now. They tighten my lungs a little bit but it is not a big deal.
So now I have to play with them and see is it the type of carbs or just the day? I have to stick with chocolate so the flavors don’t get me. Even a tiny amount can trigger a reaction. I was thinking of some honey tomorrow it is dirt cheap. I could get rice syrup if it was not that.
I don’t know if fruit will work or not yet.
I hate finding out it does not and have a slower ride. Speed is so much fun. It feels good to go fast. Well somewhat fast. On the flats on my 37 pound bent I can do 18 to 20. Hills slow me down sure better then when I was really sick and only going 12 or so on the flats.
And don’t say go to the doc as they did not help. All they worried about was the asthma. They would not listen to me that the food allergies caused it. It’s almost gone now so I want them to explain that (G) my doc had no clue and would not believe me. I mean I could eat yellow mustard but not the powdered stuff. I could drink diet pop but not plain carbonated water. I could eat hard cows milk cheese but not goat or sheep. I could eat whole eggs but not egg whites in the same form. Even new meds could do it. I found only one allergy med that really helped I reacted to the new ones I tried. Even my expensive advair inhaler once I got better I found it made my legs tired. I finally got it through to the doc but he still was baffled. But hell if I could sell this weight loss program I would be rich, eat as much as you can and still loose (G)

sounds like a good nutritionsist would be the way to go. you obviously have things going on with the way you use nutrients that are (at least) a little off the norm, and for odd things like that most gen. pract. type docs are only going to be of moderate help. a good nutritionist should be able to hepl you find the food groups and types that will help you build and maintain a decent energy level. other thoughts would be going even more specialist towards an exercise physiology type person, who would have more info on the celular level activity of your body and might be able to i.d. whtever is going on and help you put together a good routine as well as diet (as in food intake, not weight loss).

my 2 cents, coming from a molecular bio background

sounds like a good nutritionsist would be the way to go. you obviously have things going on with the way you use nutrients that are (at least) a little off the norm, and for odd things like that most gen. pract. type docs are only going to be of moderate help. a good nutritionist should be able to hepl you find the food groups and types that will help you build and maintain a decent energy level. other thoughts would be going even more specialist towards an exercise physiology type person, who would have more info on the celular level activity of your body and might be able to i.d. whtever is going on and help you put together a good routine as well as diet (as in food intake, not weight loss).

my 2 cents, coming from a molecular bio background
After all my research and testing I doubt a nutritionist could help me. the problem was I could eat very few things. that has not changed that much. now I just suffer less if I eat other stuff.
I actually got more help for a customer/ doc friend then my regular doc. he thought it was a strange glucose intolerance going on. he had me test it with a glucose power drink. I had 5 days of sore muscles from it (G)
but now as things change it is hard to keep up. I suffer far less with the simple carbs then with complex ones right now. I can get away with the power gels right now but I can't eat brown rice or other carbs on a regular basis yet. More veggies is my main goal. But when you have to worry about how they were cooked and what’s in them it makes it harder to get them if I can’t cook them myself.
But when I can eat rice again and such it will be easy to eat right again. But I still need lots of protein for my fuel. I worked that out with trial and error usually fat is the second fuel of choice but I know when I went from eating nuts as a snack to jerky I made iH ad more energy.
I suffered quite a bit experimenting and just getting things in my diet I had not planned. But I feel better then I have in years so I know I am on the right track.

I agree a nutritionalist would be the way to go, obviously there is a problem there and it sounds like your current dietary program is primarily composed of high fat/high cholesterol foods. All the energy in the world doesn't help a heart attack. What are your current measurements and daily intake? To loose 2lbs a week with no exercise sounds strange

In addition to food allergeies, you may have something else going on. I am not a doctor (although I play one on this forum ;) ) but you may have insufficiencies of certain hormones, such as adrenal insufficiency. This can lead to muscle pain and weakness. Also, there is the possibility of a mycoplasma. Many of the "lethargy" syndromes -- Gulf War Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, etc. -- have been linked to tiny organisms in the body, whch also generate strange responses to certain stimuli including food. Whatever the ultimate cause, people here are encouraging you to continue to look for a doctor until you find one who can help you. The web is full of sites with people who write in, "Everyone thought I was crazy until finally I found a doctor who diagnosed me correctly. Now I live a normal, healthy life."

Steve,

You sound almost exactly like me.

You sound like a classic protein type person as opposed to a carbohydrate type person just like me. Food alergies is also something I've been dealing with and that's to do with the health of your bowel. Have you heard of leaky gut?

Please see, http://www.mercola.com and look into the metabolic type diet and his dietry reccomendations in general. His e-mail newsletters are worth receiving. Also see http://www.westonaprice.org as the best overall diet / nutrition reference you will see. The two have links.

Another question. Do you have dental amalgams in your mouth. These are the metal ones? Dental amalgams have seriously poisioned me and I suspect they could be causing you harm to.

As for food for the road I'm in the same boat as you and I'm thinking of making something myself. It will probably be based on coconut which is one of the better choices for protein types.

Your omega 3 / 6 fat balance is an important issue here. See both of the above references. Insulin resistance, leptin resistance are issues.

If you've had lots of antibiotic therapy and possibly dental amalgams then a candida albicans infection become a serious likelyhood.

Regards, Anthony

I agree a nutritionalist would be the way to go, obviously there is a problem there and it sounds like your current dietary program is primarily composed of high fat/high cholesterol foods. All the energy in the world doesn't help a heart attack. What are your current measurements and daily intake? To loose 2lbs a week with no exercise sounds strange

acutaly my blood tests were pretty good. fat and natural cholesterol is not a bad thing like we have been spoon fed.
but what else could I eaten? all I could eat was what I posted above. I could eat nothing else. when it it got the worst before I found the foods that triggered it I spent 2 weeks at home because my lungs were so bad I could hardly get out of of my chair let alone get to the docs.

Steve,

You sound almost exactly like me.

You sound like a classic protein type person as opposed to a carbohydrate type person just like me. Food alergies is also something I've been dealing with and that's to do with the health of your bowel. Have you heard of leaky gut?


Another question. Do you have dental amalgams in your mouth. These are the metal ones? Dental amalgams have seriously poisioned me and I suspect they could be causing you harm to.

As for food for the road I'm in the same boat as you and I'm thinking of making something myself. It will probably be based on coconut which is one of the better choices for protein types.

Your omega 3 / 6 fat balance is an important issue here. See both of the above references. Insulin resistance, leptin resistance are issues.

If you've had lots of antibiotic therapy and possibly dental amalgams then a candida albicans infection become a serious likelyhood.

Regards, Anthony
I didn ot want to say leaky gut here but all my reasearch and such lead to candida and when I killed that off the leaky gut kicked in big time.
but I am way over the hump now and I feel better then I have in years. but I could not find a protien source I could handle besides the real deal. I could not handle coconut. no dental amalgams to worry about. I tried honey today and had a strong reaction. but it was more of a one I get with flavorings and spices and such not a sugar one.
I still need lots of protien for fuel but it looks liek simple sugars can give me a poost with only a small reaction. it used to be the oppisite where simple sugars like glucose really got me.

Have you tried increasing your fat intake for fuel rather than protein. This works for me and infact I never sit down to a big slab of meat but dairy is an important part of my diet at the moment. Start with a little yoghurt and sour cream if you have dairy issues. Other than that I make my own chicken liver pate with home rendered beef fat. I cook with butter or coconut oil. I know you said you have problems with coconut but try just virgin coconut oil. This is good stuff.

Look into the whole omega 3 / 6 issue if you havent already done so.

I'm working on food for the road. So far my rides are mostly up to 2 hours so I dont need anything but water but at the 2 hour mark I hit the wall. Drink wise I'm thinking that filtered water with celtic sea salt and cane sugar will be the best way to go. For food I'm thinking high fat. Yoghurt + sour cream, curred sausage or other dried meats, chocolate crackles even(copha which is coconut oil, rice puffs, cocoa, sugar).

Regards, Anthony

I forgot I am taking omega 3 oils. That and fiber were about the only things I could handle. I found a lactic acid culture I could handle too I think that is what got me healthy again my bacteria was DOA.
It took awhile to find what worked for energy. When I could handle cream on a regular basis I could make myself some desert with liquid splenda and cream. But I never noticed any energy increase really. Maybe sometimes but I was never positive about it. But when I found out if I ate the jerky as a snack and not the nuts I usually ate I had more energy on the ride home. I also seemed not to desire fat as much as I did.
I just went from either 2 hamburger patties with cheese or three without to two without. I just could not eat them anymore.
So listening to your body is key to get past this. But it can be a pain to experiment. That honey got me good yesterday. Same with the banana I ate because I had cramps so bad.
For about three months I started getting cramps in my lower legs in the morning. Electrolytes helped but it was not enough. I took potassium pills and magnesium (started giving me the runs) but I found if I ate carbs they were gone. Till last night I got them bad before I went to bed. I found I can get powdered maltodextrin so I may get some and make my own energy drink. I need to keep to simple sugars complex carbs tend to cause problems right now.

Steve,

In no paticular order, look out for the splenda. It's not healthy stuff. Dr Mercola, http://www.mercola.com has some articles on it. If you want to sweeten things and you can't handle cane sugar (in moderation) try Stevia.

Even though I say I'm on a high fat diet I still eat fresh, dark green vegetables every day like salad greens or snow peas, zuchinni, beans and other vegetables because of the mineral balance issue. Something to try is bone broth. ie cooking bones in water for hours with a few vegetables. This resultant stock or broth is very rich in magnesium and calcium and it's in an easily digestable form. See if you can track some down or if you have some cooking skills I can tell you how to make some.

Regards, Anthony

I could not get enough veggies. I did not want to cook them in the morning lunch I had no place I could get them in a form i could have. I had them at night but I always ran out of idea's so I limited myself to a few types. when i can eat rice it wil lbe far easier to get veggies more often

the honey did not help I tried the powdered maltodextrin and it did nto work and tightened my lungs a bit much. it was ok in the GU gel but I guess it was in a different form and I guess I got the energy from the gluecose. so I have some fruitose powder to try and brown rice syryp to try. but it looks like only simple surgars give me any boost right now.