WBFF New England 2015: My Competiton, SIBO friendly diet & Upcoming Reverse Diet
Morning!
This past weekend was the WBFF New England show in Providence, Rhode Island! Super excited and honored to say that I placed top 5 again in my 2nd WBFF show! To be able to accomplish that after having no off-season training and enduring the challenges and pains of SIBO, I am proud that I did not let it set me backward. I have come such a long way over the past year and I have more control over my gut, I can finally look forward to a solid off season to properly reverse diet and sufficiently train.
SIBO DIET EXPERIMENTATION
Now that I am done with competing for a few months, I am going to be conducting some trial and error experiments to see if I can add any other foods to my diet while I am reversing. Dr. Bassani is also trying something new with me this week. Over prep, we found that my gut was getting really irritable over the Yeastonil & Parastonil. I developed GERD again, and had a small burning pain in my stomach. We halted treatment for now and implemented l-Glutamine powder and Apex Energetics: Gastro-ULC to help heal the stomach lining. I am still experiencing periodic constipation and intestinal irritation. It is a constant feeling of fullness, like a block of cement, in my lower abdomen. Ironically enough, I experienced these uncomfortable symptoms during my entire show day on Saturday. This week, we are going to add in Flax Seeds & Spanish Black Radishes to see what happens! My next post, I would like to talk about some of these the remedies that we have been implementing into my diet and how they have helped me thus far. I want to talk about specific herbs/spices/foods/amino acids and how they effect our bodies!
REVERSE DIET
I want to go a bit off topic from SIBO and talk about how important it is to work with the right coach so that you can be given a proper reverse diet and train out of a competition.
Every year, I see the same thing backstage – girls literally stuffing their faces as soon as they step off stage with all of the treats that they have felt restricted from during their prep. Their diets consist of tilapia and asparagus, and maybe if they are lucky, 1 small amount of starchy carbohydrate a day. Not only is this extremely unhealthy for the body, but it also wreaks havoc on the mind. I know – I have been there. I have binged post show, and it does nothing but stimulate your taste buds for as long as the food lasts on your tongue. It ruins your hard work and and darkens your mind.
Here is an example of the foods I ate during my prep – also conducive to a SIBO/Low FODMAP diet:
Competition Diet
– Whole eggs & egg whites
– Bacon
– Chicken
– Beef
– Scallops
– Shrimp
– Potatoes
– Raspberries
– Grapes
– Avocados
– Carrots
– Popcorn (No butter)
– Squash: Spaghetti/Butternut
– Nut Butters
– So Delicious products – Almond Milk/Cashew Milk/Coconut Milk Ice Creams (Dairy Free/Gluten Free/Soy Free)
– Enjoy Life Foods: Chocolate Chips (Dairy Free/Gluten Free/Soy Free)
– Califia Farms Almond Milk Creamers
– Almond Milk
– Coconut Oil
– Coffee & Tea
– Stevia/Splenda
**Please understand that I could have eaten anything I wanted to eat during prep, as long as it fit into my caloric & macro goals for each day. I stayed strict with these foods above specifically because they did not cause a flare up, and kept my tummy stable and happy.**
As you can see – majority of my diet consists of whole foods that some may consider as “clean” foods. But you will also see that I have fun food in there too! If I could fit some So Delicious Ice Cream in to my diet, I did! Because it fit my macros, and did not negatively impact my physique. Due to my reverse diet last off-season, I was able to diet down for this show off of 2,000 calories. Towards the end of my prep, I was still eating around 1,500 calories with plenty of carbs & fats. I still did not feel like I was dieting, nor did I feel restricted, or the need to go off of the deep end and face first into a jar of chocolate hazelnut butter. I also kept most of my energy when I was training. I did not miss a single session of HIIT cardio (which by the way, I was only doing an hour a week), and I was still squatting over 100 pounds even during peak week.
Poor nutrition and contest prep habits are an epidemic in our industry and we are on a mission to spread awareness, and healthier fitness habits to not only competitors, but anyone interested in achieving higher fitness goals. Flexible dieting can help even the “average” person learn food control. Think about it – No more post-comp binge eating. You CAN fit a donut into your macros. You CAN go out to dinner and drinks with friends and not feel guilty. You CAN maintain a physique that is close to your stage appearance.
Talk soon!
<3 Steph
Thank you so much for writing about your experience with SIBO/leaky gut. I too am going through this long journey. I currently work out 5-6x a week and am frustrated because it’s hard to be consistent with my diet because 1. I may not feel like eating enough calories if I’m having a IBS-C flare up with extensive bloating or 2. If I do eat within a specific macro ratio, it doesn’t last more than a couple days because I don’t feel like it’s possible for me to see results when I constantly feel like I look bigger than I am – water retention, bloating, etc.
How did you find a coach to work with that is knowledgeable enough to work-around your health restrictions? and, did you find it difficult to eat a higher carb diet – even if all carbs were low fodmap? Just from a learning perspective – what was our macro ratio? I keep putting off starting because I don’t want to pay for a plan that I can’t stick to and see results. I keep saying, let me heal first and then I’ll start – but as you know, the healing process takes a very long time.
Any information would be so helpful. Again, thanks for putting your story out there!
Courtney – Thanks so much for reading and commenting. You are asking amazing questions and I am SO happy to help you out.
I have been exactly where you are. About a year ago, a still had no idea what the hell was going on. I couldn’t reverse diet, let alone even get myself to the gym because I felt exactly how you felt, and exhausted no matter how much I slept.
1. I would start with diet first. No gluten, dairy, soy, low FODMAPs for now. As far as FODMAPs are concerned, I think tolerance depends on the person, and also, where you are at in recovery. I was able to tolerate starches like white/yellow/red potatoes, but not sweet potatoes. White rice, but not brown. I have also eaten avocados the WHOLE time, which is technically a no no. Figuring out what does and does not work for you will take a long time, but you will figure it out. Try one questionable food every other day to see how your body reacts to it.
2. Incorporate a series of anti-microbials to kill off bacteria, yeast, and parasites. Then incorporate different strains of probiotics. I would recommend a homeopathic/naturopath/functional wellness doctor who can understand your issues and has access to these types of natural supplements to assist you in your battle. That is if you already don’t have one of course 🙂
3. The biggest issue I had overall was the excruciating constipation. I was recently introduced to OxyPowder – you can purchase it from globalhealingcenter.com. This is not a laxative and your body won’t create a dependence on it like mine did on Senna & Cascara Sagrada laxatives. And once you get the diet and anti-microbials working and creating a die off, the WORST thing that can happen is having all of that toxic waste sitting in your colon. The OxyPowder never fails. Do your own research and learn about the cleanse and the maintenance usages for this product. Also, if you are not able to find an appropriate practitioner to help provide you with antimicrobial supplements to kill off the gut demons, Global Healing Center’s website has a fantastic collection of supplements for you to utilize. After my show in 2 weeks, I will be starting Paratrex & Livatrex to help clear out a parasitic infection I have recently discovered. I would also recommend Apex Engergetics and Xymogen products if your doctor is familiar with them.
4. As far as a macro split is concerned, I am sure that you know that my metabolism & body type is different from yours, who is different from other people. My macros would not necessarily be appropriate for you. However, I can recommend my boyfriend, Chris Warnes, who is a nutritionist and contest prep coach. He has helped me navigate through the hardships of SIBO because he has been the #1 person who has watched me suffer through all of this. He has learned along with me. It is AMAZING how many other fitness focused individuals suffer from digestive disorders just like you and me. You are not alone. You can check out Chris on Instagram at CWFit, and he can be reached at cwfit101@yahoo.com. He has the capabilities of assessing your physique, metabolism, and current stats to determine the right macros for you, and can also help you navigate the healing process too.
Let me know if there is anything else I can answer for you 🙂 Good luck and I hope you keep in touch!