"Women are not small men" - ROAR by Stacy Sims

[sadie17]

I am not much of a reader, but this book has hands down changed my life (which is insane to say!)

Since starting to follow her tips my weight loss has gone way up, and I have felt so much better than I have ever felt before during excercising, making it so much easier to give it my all. I never realised that I trained and ate like a man, or that even something else exsisted until I read this book, learning and reading some aspects is mind blowing and I feel like I have a better understanding of my physiology.

If anyone has more reccomendations on something similar, please give the tips in the comments!!

https://www.bookdepository.com/ROAR...4DOmlMzX--yXKDvSZCveocE08GfIhbzYaApp3EALw_wcB

 

[markotech]

@sadie17 What was the most drastic change in routine that you noticed?

 

[sadie17]

@markotech So it is quite hard to pinpoint, would like to preface by saying that just the read in general is really good- how to train with your cycle, eat with your cycle and an explanation about how being a woman works in relation to fitness (hormone fluctuations etc for building muscle) is just something I never knew or understood.

She talks a lot about how fat storage works, the hormones that influence this and what and when to eat to build muscle and store less fat, which sounds very "fadd-y" but it has worked really well for me.

WHEN I eat has been a big one and what, so eating carbs before training and protein within half an hour after training. I was eating far too little fibre and not the right sort of grains, changing this has made me feel full for much much longer, meaning I snack less and I think this has really helped me. I already focused a lot of protein, but again I was getting the when wrong.

Training and eating like she outlines I have so much more energy that my workout quality has increased, which I think means I can do more and has aided me in trimming down.

I lost 2kgs since I started following her reccomendations three weeks ago, and in the 6 weeks I did before I lost 2Kgs following just normal CICO, the difference is the first 2 was a battle everyday and the last two, I am just always suprised since I dont feel like I am having to try as hard anymore. I always ate around 1500calories over the last 9 weeks.

 

[tokono]

@sadie17 I have never read the book, but I did listen to her being a guest on Jason Fitzgerald's Strength Running podcast. She taught me a lot on "using" my menstrual cycle in my benefit. Very helpful!

 

[sadie17]

@tokono Yeah totally, I bought the book after hearing her on the curious climber podcast. The book was better than I was expecting though, and had a lot more details! I can't believe how little I understood about my own body, its so strange and since I've just realised how "mancentric" information is in the fitness and diet world.

 

[tokono]

@sadie17 Yeah true. You see it in so many sports. I follow running coach Jack Daniel's marathon training plan and it's definitely largely based on men, although he has taken female runners into account in the book, but not nearly enough. The program is great, but when my luteal phase hits it's too hard for me to stick to the schedule. So I gotta change things up.

Edit: a word

 

[sadie17]

@tokono I've had the same experience, women are a small section because a lot of the literature is written for men, by men- but actually the systems are different and more complex and JUST AS IMPORTANT! Honestly this has been eye opening and like I said after three weeks I've never felt such an improvement in my ability and general mood as I have now, some things I thought were normal, or just genetic maybe are just about my nutrition and timing. When she wrote about intermittent fasting I felt so validated, since I tried it while tracking calories and gained weight and felt awful - and it turns out this can be true for a lot more women because of its influence on our hormones, whereas men, generally, have far better results. (Not saying this holds true for everyone!)

 

[cpaste]

@sadie17 this article kind of breaks it down just a little, as i definitely don’t have another book in me right now but i’m very interested in this concept:

https://www.cyclingtips.com/2015/08/women-are-not-small-men/

 

[xdxaxvxex]

@sadie17 sounds interesting!

does the book have anything to say about thyroid and the adrenal glands in connection to sports? (a part that often is overlooked unfortunately)

 

[nichole08]

@xdxaxvxex Would be very interested in this too

 

[saussiona]

@sadie17 I’ve gotten into cycle syncing my workouts and nutrition the last few months and I honestly feel amazing! I’m just maintaining so I can’t speak to the weight loss aspect but the science behind it is so interesting and makes a lot of sense.
I follow Misty Myler on Instagram and she has a lot of good tips for syncing to your cycle!

 

[bandarbo]

@saussiona That's so cool!

Is she the only resource you use to learn about cycle syncing? I don't use IG so looking for other resources (in addition to this Stacy Sims book).

 

[saussiona]

@bandarbo Most are on Instagram haha but I also like the 28 app for tracking my cycle. I use the free version and it’s usually spot on with how im feeling that day. It has suggested foods and workouts based on where you’re at in your cycle. I don’t do their workouts but the app has great info.

 

[nichole08]

@saussiona I second the 28 app for tracking!

 

[bandarbo]

@nichole08 Thank you and to @saussiona! I signed up; can't use the app b/c I'm vision disabled and it's a pain just to login, but the website gives enough info about workouts. I don't see food on the website, unfortunately.

 

[mynamejeff]

@sadie17 Does she go into post partum/ breastfeeding at all? I always lost pregnancy weight immediately but within two weeks of breastfeeding I gain 10lbs. I generally wont lose that at all until I wean. I have always been curious about the hormones. I remember working my ass off to lose it with second baby in terms of macros and nutrition and it didn’t matter. But once I weaned her I did IF and lost it all. I am once again breastfeeding but probably going to go longer than a year this time ( he is 8 mo now). Was hoping she may mention it in this book?

 

[dawn16]

@sadie17 I don’t see anything in the synopsis or table of contents that mentions contraceptives. Does she talk about being on birth control at all?