eat to nourish - move to flourish

"eat to nourish - move to flourish"
@acheiving_balance

I saw this on instagram yesterday and just love it! It's going to be a battle to have people understand that I'm not changing my lifestyle to loose weight and be skinny. I actually love my body, and have for a long time, well before Whole30. I mean, yeah it's great that clothes fit better and all that, but that's so minor to how wonderful it feels to know I'm treating my body right. To know that my heart is being strengthened every day. To know that I'm not damaging my insides with sugar intake. To even love my body through filling it with tons of water every day. It goes so much deeper than body image. And I feel like these words put that perfectly:)

I'm totally a salad girl and it's so weird! But last night was disappointing...we were at a pretty overpriced placed, and I ordered the Cesar salad...and the lettuce was two heads of iceberg lettuce. First, iceberg lettuce? Really? Second, I just paid a lot for this salad, you're going to make me awkwardly cut up and toss my own salad? WTF. But it was still pretty good, and I have consistently completely cleaned every plate I've had eating out. Another blessing from Whole30, I appreciate food someone else made a lot. We were at Dakota Jazz Club, and it was fantastic. I can't even put into words how perfect the music was! Uff, just beautiful, a gal with a smokey voice, and an awesome band playing jazz music. Incredible.

I started wearing my fitbit again. I'm not really sure why...I move enough throughout the day, but I just really want to for some reason. Maybe it's because everyone in the fitness world is still using theirs, or just starting to. Even being an adult, I still like to be in the "club". But when I synced it again today, it erased all of my steps already done for this morning. So that was a bummer.

Also my workout was super fantastic. A bitch, but super fantastic:

30s full kettle bell swing

30s rest
30 seconds push ups
30 seconds rest
20s full kettle bell swing
20s rest….then 10s
(x2)

Push sled down and back
10 bar pull ups, with knee in band
(x5)

100 jump ropes

10 dead lift with bar
(x5)

10 medicine ball against wall, each side

10 front squat with kettle bell
(x5)

40 rope slams
10 dumbbell press
(x5)

10 box hops
10 tire flips
(x5)

Party on!

I'm just gonna throw this on here somewhere so I can be reminded that this happened someday...but there's this debate happening with a photo. Some people see the colors blue and black, some see white and gold. And it's freaking people out everywhere. It spread faster than wildfire! I see blue and black :)

balance

 

This first week off of Whole30 has gone pretty well. I must admit, I really, really miss the rules. It's so hard because anytime I stray off the path of compliant foods, it's coming from other sources. I always say, I could eat Whole30 forever if I didn't have friends.

 

But my social life is hella important, so I'm just going to have to find a balance. The beginning of the week I had wine with my roomies! Alcohol means little to nothing to me, so that's one of the hardest things to have when I don't really want it. But it's still fun to have a treat with my fave ladies. Plus they came in mini bottles, doesn't get much better than that!

 

I went to Copper Hen last night with a friend, and that was fantastic. I have never been a salad orderer, and frankly I judged them in the past, but I'm excited to change my tune and become one! And holy crap on a stick, this salad was incredible, the Farmhouse salad with spinach, baby kale, roasted mushrooms (omg I like mushrooms!), candied bacon, cashews, ricotta, poached egg and champagne vinaigrette. Anything with candied bacon is expected to be fantastic though. I would no doubt have this salad again.

 

And then, guess what! I had a cupcake. I was a hesitant about it, because I don't want to lure my sugar dragon out of his cage, but I feel great today, so that makes me really excited. If I was to tempt my dragon, the cupcake I had was the right thing to attempt. Wowza, bacon and blueberry and incredible frosting. It was perfection!

 

Life is so good. I still feel so good. I have no guilt over reintroduction, which I, and my loved ones were worried about. Everything is just really fantastic, even post Whole30!

 

Gonna say it again, I am just so thankful for this. #iamwhole30

 

Workout today:

3 min eliptical at level 15, 2 min eliptical at level 19, 5 min eliptical at level 17

 

15 bar squats

15 calf raises with leg machine

15 TRX side lunges

 

15 elevated one foot lunges with dumbells

15 ab lifts, feet on tire, weight bag over hips

15 10 second wall sit, one leg up, switch

 

Finisher with half round agility dummy

1 min running sideways between 5 of them

30 seconds laying in V-pike

10 roll to stand

 

Party on!

explaining myself

I saw this yesterday on instagram from @waytogoash, which is one of the most inspiring women! First she was one of my favorite photographers (you won't even believe how incredible her and her husbands work is), and now she's one of my favorite fit inspiring women!

 

Anywho, she posted this and it just tugged on my heart! And then I thought, oh man that's so sappy. But then I went back to thinking I LOVE THIS! I don't care if it's weird.

 

And that right there is going to be the definition of my new future I feel. This balance of defending myself. Not caring if people think I'm weird.

 

My real concern is them confusing my "weirdness" for judgment. Because I am so not judging. I'm not going to have that donut because I don't want it. I'm not directly telling you you shouldn't have it! Not even close to that!

 

I'm so new to this, and I'm going to try my best to navigate how to explain my heart to my friends and family. But it's going to be a challenge. I'm not sure how to accurately explain my thoughts. I'm not saying no to a donut to deny myself happiness from it, I'm able to get my happiness from other forms, so I'm just choosing not to have that donut. It's not about me being obsessed with not gaining weight or anything like that, it's about me not being obsessed with food. I never realized how much it dictated and ruled my choices in life, and I'm ready to let go of that.

 

The people pleasing part of me (which is large), wants to just give in and eat a donut for someone else. But how crazy is that??? I have to live my own life too, and make choices for me. I guess I just have to have more hope that the people in my life will learn to trust me, and know that this is my thing. It's not something I'm trying to force on anyone else, or provide guilt for. If you can eat what you want, I should be able to eat what I want. Fair?

 

Cool.

 

In googling help with this subject, I found this Whole9 post, which made me feel a little better. It's still not the perfect explanation to me, because again I want to make sure people know I have no judgment towards other peoples eatings. But it at least makes me feel less crazy.

 

"I eat real food – fresh, natural food like meat, vegetables and fruit. I choose foods that are nutrient-dense, with lots of naturally occurring vitamins and minerals, over foods that have more calories but less nutrition. And food quality is important – I’m careful about where my meat, seafood and eggs come from, and buy organic local produce as often as possible. I haven't exactly gotten to this point yet :/

This is not a “diet” – I eat as much as I need to maintain strength, energy, activity levels and a healthy body weight. I aim for well-balanced nutrition, so I eat both animals and a significant amount of plants. I’m not lacking carbohydrates – I just get them from vegetables and fruits instead of bread, cereal or pasta. And my meals are probably higher in fat than you’d imagine, but fat is a healthy source of energy when it comes from high-quality foods like avocado, coconut and grass-fed beef.

Eating like this is ideal for maintaining a healthy metabolism and reducing inflammation within the body. It’s good for body composition, energy levels, sleep quality, mental attitude and quality of life. It helps eliminate sugar cravings and reestablishes a healthy relationship with food. It also works to minimize your risk for a whole host of lifestyle diseases and conditions, like diabetes, heart attack, stroke and autoimmune."

 

A little thought nugget for the day. I will tweek the ideas a bit I'm sure when I have to explain life over and over and over in the coming future.

 

My workout today:

 

3 min treadmill 5% incline walk, 2 min treadmill 2% incline run, 5 min treadmill 1% incline run

 

15 seated dumbell curls

15 wide grip lat pulldown

(x5)

 

16 plank dumbell row

15 band wood chops on bosu ball

20 straight arm alternationg forward and sides, on bosu ball

(x4)

 

Alternating 30 seconds

Sprint on treadmill

Plank

(x7)

 

 

Party on!

done!

But as I said on my instagram, this is the end of my Whole30, but it isn't the end. It's the start of my Wholelife. I am changed, and I hope it sticks. Because I feel fantastic and so inspired.

Cravings are definitely harder to step away from now that I don't have "rules". My first paleo dessert was beyond fantastic. It was from this Paleomg recipe, Apple Coconut bites! Perfection for me seriously.

I am completely inspired to keep up with my meal prep, I made this Pizza Speghetti pie recipe from Paleomg, this magic mushroom powderfrom NomNomPaleo (waaaay to much) and these tortillas from stupideasypaleo.

My first non Whole30 meal was tacos from J and I's favorite taco place. I wanted to keep it almost all 30, but the first thing the guy did was plop a huge piles of rice in my non tortilla bowl (looked great, but glad to just have a normal bowl). I guess I'm having rice today. Then he put the beans on. Guess I'm having beans today. The rest I chose, pork, guac, salsa, and i said yes to sour cream, cause why not, since I'm having rice and beans (and this my friends, is how the snowball occurs). But it was delicious, and I ate it all guilt free. Though it is amazing how easy it is to over eat when you eat not as clean food. I also put my taco salad in the tortillas I made, that was amazing! I loved them. For sure will be making them again.

I'm also still packing my lunches Whole30, which I'm confident will continue. Last night for dinner I tried the Speghetti Pizza dish and it was SO good.

I was incredibly bummed to miss the gym yesterday, Monday. The oil guys didn't put my oil cap on tight enough so I had to go in yesterday morning since oil was spilling all over my engine for a week. They found the cap under the engine and cleaned up sister bernarda the III for me. So that was nice.

Todays workout was just OK, it was probably me, but it wasn't as amazing as usual. But this is what's important, I still can't wait to go tomorrow:)

Workout:

3 min bike level 2, 2 min level 5, 5 min level 3

15 bench press
16 push up bench with shoulder touch
15 wood chops

15 underhand lat pulldown
15 rope face pull
15 each side leg raise, abs

Roate with 2 people - 30 seconds - rest, rope, plank
Jumping jack with rope, plank
V's with rope, left side plank
Circles with rope, right side plank

Party on!

day THIRTY HOLY S***

I can't even believe it. And I'm not just saying that. I can't believe it because it went by so happily, and I could keep going. I don't even feel the need to stop. How crazy is that. I keep explaining to people how when reading the book, it describes these life changing mindsets people get after Whole30, and of course I hoped that that would happen, but I for sure never believed it. So to be here, to feel in my brain and heart what I'm feeling, it's bliss. I am so freaking excited and encouraged and inspired and just all the good things. And yeah I could talk and talk and talk about how I'm feeling, but here's the best part. I don't need to right now. Because it doesn't end here. It's just the beginning. Whole30 is just a pathway, a vessel. I am confident my life is different from here on out. I have strength and courage and hope, and it's going to drive me. Because tomorrow, all I want to do is wake up, make myself eggs, drink water, have some fruit, eat some meat, make myself some paleo tortillas, and maybe eat the caramel I have been saving. WHAT?!?!?! Didn't see that coming. I pictured binge eating the meal I started with, Velveeta mac n cheese, Cinnamon toast crunch, a Snapple and a butter fingers.

Consider this girls world, turned upside down.

I can't say thank you enough, and I can't speak highly enough about this.

Next up, a whole life. Here I come :)

This mornings breakfast was three fried eggs, grapefruit and coffee!

I went to a paint and wine part thing this afternoon and had an Rxbar on the way home, I was starving for some reason!

Party on!

day twenty nine

J and I cooked dinner for his mom and finace last night, and it went really well! We made them a Whole30 meal and they loved it! We made cracklin' chicken again (I really need to get a splatter guard), mashed potatoes (I can't have real potatoes anymore, I had way too much of it-not worth it to tease my brain like that), parisan carrots, and a spinach and strawberry salad.

For some reason, last night I had a really tough time explaining where my heart is for Whole30. Which is defeating. I'm not sure why it happened. But of course they were supportive still:) And I'm just as in love as ever.

As I was researching how to heal this constipation I'm feeling (but no longer after this morning yahoo!), I came across the "what to expect timeline". I started reading about day 29

Days 29-30: HolyOprahIt’sAlmostOverWhatAmIGoingToEatNow?!?!?!

It’s day 29, and you’re still rocking. The thoughts you had yesterday of throwing in the towel are gone. You cruise through the day and as you crawl into bed you have a small thought that then grows into full-blown cold-sweat panic. Holy crap. Tomorrow is day 30. The last day. What the hell are you going to do after that?! You worked so hard, fought through all the anger, the naps, the cravings to get to the awesome you’re feeling now. The rules have been your backbone, your lifeline, your excuse for being “that person” in social situations. Are you just going to give them up on day 31? No. You firmly resolve that there will be no deviation on day 31. If it ain’t broke…

It’s totally normal to feel a twinge of panic as your Whole30 comes to a close. For the past month, you’ve lived, breathed, and literally eaten the rules. You feel incredible in your new high-octane body. It’s natural to hesitate at the thought of making any changes – even if the change is a return to what was “normal” for you before. And, the truth is, you don’t have to go back to the way you used to eat. But keep in mind that the Whole30 was intended to be a reset, an introduction into the world of Good Food. I know it’s scary, but keep an open mind, okay?

And it's all so true. So, so true. I got a little teary eyed reading this, which might be a little too weird. But I'm so thankful for this life changing experience, but also I'm really sad it's almost over. I feel attached to it. Who knows if that part is "healthy", but either way, it's so worth it. I'm so excited for the future and to keep this train on track, with alterations of course.

Workout today:

10 mins treadmill, 3 min walk 5% incline, 2 min jog 5% incline, 5 min run 3% incline

100 jump rope
20 plank press with dumbell
15 medicine ball slams
(x4)

20 ab sliders
30 rope slams
Push sled down and back
Farmer walk with bar down and back
(x4)

15 squat and press with dumbells
20 mountain climbers with slider
15 sumo squats
(x1 - since I came late)

Party on!

day twenty seven

I can't wait to have sweet potatoes again tonight, since I figured out how to cook them a way I like (cut into small cubes, mix with olive oil, salt and cinnamon, bake for 20 min at 400). I'm not excited about eating so much tater in any form, but I read it will help with constipation, so I'm gon try it to get dem der bowels a movin. TMI, you're welcome.

Workout today was great! Leg day...and I wanted it to last longer. I'm so weird:
2 min eliptical at level 10, 3 min at level 12, 5 min at level 17

12 squat machine
12 slow one-leg elevated lunge
15 medicine ball side throw, each side
(x4)

12 bar bell straight-leg dead lift
12 dumbbell sumo squat
15 medicine ball throw sit up
(x4)

Finisher
50-50, 40-40, 30-30, 20-20, 10-10
Double rope slams
Mason twist with medcine ball

Party on!

day twenty six

I just can't even believe this is possible. That I'm still so pumped from this. That I feel so stinkin' good. That I could cry from thankfulness from this eye opening last 26 days I have had. Right now I fill like I could totally do another 30 days. How cool is that??? Who saw that coming??? NOT ME. But there's a few too many things that are being affected, so I'm still going to end with the strictness of Whole30, but continue for the most part when I'm on my own. But of course I already have my next month planned out:)

I'm pretty sure my afternoon headaches have disappeared, so that's exciting! I have pretty bad constipation the past few days, and I had in a previous week too. I'm going to try and eat a sweet potato a day and see if that helps. According to the forums it's supposed to, so we'll see!

My workout today was a great arm day. Wish I did a little more cardio, as I have taken three days off, but it was fantastic all the same!

10 mins treadmill, 3 min walk 5% incline, 2 min jog 5% incline, 5 min run 3% incline

12 TRX inverted row
12 barbell curl and press (to eyes, so not all the way up)
15 ab hyper extension machine with weight
(x4)

5 minutes treadmill

12 t-bar row with handle
12 single arm dumbell row
12 single arm preacher curl
(x4)

12 seated cable row machine
12 cable straight pull downs
7 bendy bar curl half up, 7 half down, 7 full curl
12 hammer curl
(x4)

I wish my 6:05am self could always remind my 5:20am self, JUST GET UP. It will be so worth it, I promise! You just don't remember how great it felt yesterday! But you will, you will!!!

Because dayum my bed was warm and cozy and delicious this morning.

But I did it, and am so happy I did!

Tonights dinner was SO delcious. I loved the way my sweet potatoes turned out. I cut the tator into cubes, and spread olive oil over the pieces, along with salt and cinnamon. Then I baked for 20 minutes at 400. Incredibly delicious. AND THEN I had a lettuce burger. Holy moly (GUACAMOLE i should say ;) ) was that good. I put homemade mayo and guac on it (little packs from Costco-definitely a game changer). Then I forced myself to put some tomatoes on there, since I don't like them and am trying desperately to.

 

For some reason I had a Lara bar afterwards. Which I totally didnt' need because my meal was so perefect. But sometimes I'm still weak, and sometimes my new mind reverts back to my old snacking mind. So I'm just going to listen to my new mind a little stronger next time.

 

I also almost had ANOTHER bar after googling paleo desserts last night. WTF is my deal, I knew that would be bad news. But, hey, I didn't have a bar. So that's great news!

 

I also spent almost $25 on cashews last night. Grrr. But worth it. I always pack these little snack packs right after I buy the nuts, and love it. Because it controls my portions, and I just really like being organized so they make me happy. Anal much?

 

Party on!

day twenty four and five

The rest of the weekend was so magical. Weekends just rock don't they? Also, I love my kitchen. Look at it, look how cute it is!!!!

 

Sunday morning consisted of waking up slow with J and making myself an incredible breakfast. Well incredible to me, same old same old for any observer. Fried Eggs, chicken and apple sausage and a grapefruit. Then we adventured at Costco for the first time, and I must say, I was not impressed. There just really isn't that much to offer unless you're cooking for a family. But I was happy to go once, and know now that i don't need a membership. I am super excited about the mini gucamoles I got, and the pink salt. Then we went to Trader joes, and my heart was content. Gosh I love that place. Some staples I got:

Beef

Ghee

Coconut flour (still need to get almond)

Eggs

8 veggies mix

Kale

Frozen green beans

 

Monday breakfast photo here

 

Dinner wasn't super impressive, I had some leftover pesto sauce over Zoodles, and barely ate it. It was all a little too old, I'm sure it was fine, but it just kind of skeezed me out. And leftover potato turned into pancakes (those were great duh).

 

Monday was Presidents Day, and we both had it off! We woke up slow, and then I went home to make myself brunch. While making breakfast, I prepped to make some meatballs for the week too.

 

Dinner was so fantastic, leftover cracklin' chicken, leftover chicken salad, sauteed kale (which I made too salty and didnt' finish, oops) and a part of the mornings grapefruit.

 

I also tried to make kale chips! I followed NomNomPaleos recipe. I put the leaves in a ziplock with olive oil, shook it up, put leaves on aluminum sheet and baked for 12 minutes. Then I put chips back in zipolock with a mixture of spices (paprika, salt, garlic powder) and shook it again. They were really good!

 

Party on! Until another weekend ;)

day twenty three

I LOVE WEEKENDS! Because they're weekends duh, but also because I get to make fancier breakfasts, than just my standard two hard boiled eggs + cinnamon. I made breakfast for J on Saturday, 2 fried eggs, potato pancakes made with our leftover mashed potatoes, and chicken and apple sausages sauteed. SO DELISH. I could eat a whole carton of fried eggs I swear.

 

J actually woke up before me on this day. To get coffee and sneak in flowers to my apartment. Winner! We finished off the morning watching some shows and slowly starting the day. Went to visit J's mom. Then split up to prepare for the big V day. I never thought I would be that cliche person...but I finally like Valentines day a tad. Of course it helps when you're dating someone, but since J and I will take any opporunity to celebrate each other, it's just that much more fun to have a designated day. I even wore a red dress, woof.

 

I made a late little lunch of leftover cracklin' chicken salad. I just chopped some spinach, plopped some mayo in there, along with the chicken cut up and celery. It was so good! That cracklin' chicken, I tell ya...

 

I was going to workout, but I didn't. And I'm OK with it. I never have guilt when I don't miss a workout...but it is hard to know which days are more full, the ones I get to sleep in and relax, or the ones I get SO much done if I workout early. Uff, adult choices are hard.

 

 

Party on!

day twenty two

Yesterday was a long day, bless J's heart, he talked me through my sassy bits over the phone, as I scarfed down my dinner last night at 8:30 pm, consisting of an Rxbar, some egg salad and a clementine. It's so weird to me that there's people with normal nights where they don't have a side job, or a blog, or 234234 crafts on their list. But, I wouldn't trade my creative mind for anything, so there are tradeoffs in life :)

Tonight we're going to make a first attempt at NomNomPaleos cracklin' chicken, which I'm super excited about. I don't have a splash guard, so I'm nervous for that. And we're going to have mashed potatoes, with real potatoes, gasp I know.

And can I just take a moment to talk about Applegate hot dogs. Holy sausage. I sliced up some of these and sauteed them in ghee. Game.Changer. That was some delicious f'ing hot dog right there. YUM. I can't wait for lunch so I can eat what I didn't sneak from the pan last night.

Also, I really loved the intro paragraphs in this blog post. I feel the same way. I would never want anyone to think that becuase I'm eating a certain way, I think they should eat that way. Whole30  is so personal. Despite how much I talk about it and a slight obsession, it's still for me, and I have no opinon on what's right and wrong. Of course I still tell people about it because I love to share how much better I feel. But that might not be right for other people to feel their best! Health should totally be up to each individuals heart. You definitely can't force anyone to change their eating habits. Food is a huge part of our lives, even more so than most people realize. If you would have told me 5 or even 2 years ago I would be eating like this, I would laugh at you. I didn't want it, and I wasn't ready. Every one is writing their own book, and they can write it however they want:)

This, this, THIS from the post, is one of the hugest things I wanted to and have accomplished:
"I learned to think of meals as fuel-ups rather than happy dances on my tastebuds. I get my happy from other things, so even though I don’t relish my breakfast, after I eat a couple of eggs and a plate of vegetables, I feel good so I don’t really care that much."

That's something that J has always struggled with on this health journey. It makes him sad a little that he sees how happy ice cream makes me, why can't I just have it, since it gives me joy? And that's totally valid. But it's so much deeper than that. I get way more joy from editing wedding footage, or laughing until I cry with friends, or watching Parks and Rec on Netflix. So why wouldn't I learn to just rely on that joy to fill my cup, rather than the quick and dirty joy I get from ice cream? It's a great awakening, and I really am loving it.

The workout today was BADASS. I usually prefer a little more cardio, but it was still a good time:

10 mins treadmill, 3 min walk 5% incline, 2 min jog 5% incline, 5 min run 3% incline

15 kettle bell half swings
5 goblet presses with kettle bell
3 push ups (I can't believe I can do normal pushups now!!!)
(x20)
...yes that's right. X20. B***** aint shit ya'll

100 TRX push up
100 TRX rows (50 elbows out and 50 elbows in)
Alternate however you want, I did 20 of each back and forth

8 kettle bell front squats
Down and back farmer walk with kettle bells
(x8) no dropping kettle bells, this killed

30 squats (only to even out the pain in my arms, but my abs were sore from the week anyway. I just love working out)

Party on!

day twenty one

I'm feeling so great today. Like really great. My coworker set me this article, and I pretty much laughed out loud the whole time.

Last night I made egg salad, and it was SO DELICIOUS!

Recipe:
6 eggs
1/4 cup mayo
1/3 cup celery chopped
2 tbls parsley chopped
1/2 juice from a lemon
Smoosh it up, ready to go!

I kept sneaking fork fulls of it last night, and forced myself to put it back in the fridge. Then I ate my dinner of that stupid casserole and grapefruit. I had a couple of bites, and then came to the conclusion of, I don't have to eat this. Of course I don't want to be wasteful, but I can just chalk up this meal to lack of experience, and just not make as much next time. So I threw it away (eek!). And then I de-packed my lunch and threw away the last serving that I was going to eat today and packed egg salad instead (yay!). I decided that I don't want to start hating whole30 because I'm eating something I made over a week ago.

And that was a great decision because I can't wait for lunch!

Workout today:
 10 mins treadmill, 3 min walk 5% incline, 2 min jog 5% incline, 5 min run 3% incline

12 seated Arnold press
12 bosu ball front raise, with padded bar
12 laying Ham string curl, each leg
15 stability ball V-pass
2 turf runs
(x3)

12 kettle goblet squat and press
12 side arm lift on bosu ball
12 one leg TRX lunges
15 medicine ball knee lifts
2 turf runs
(x3)

Party on!

day twenty!

I'm 2/3 way done! Today I spent too much time googling SWYPO desserts and treats. Which is so not Whole30, but I couldn't help it. I promise my attitude is still on par, I liked my lunch, I feel great, I'm just really excited to have a lil sompin sompin. But I will stop for today.

For lunch I had meatballs, cut baby tomatoes, avacado, simple ranch (just Whole30 mayo with some dill, not superb, but I really need to use my mayo), and stawberries. I'm trying to force myself to like tomatoes, so mixing in all of those things in one bite, helps a tad.

Arm workout today:

6 min treadmill

15 incline bench press with dumbells
15 kneeling medicine ball throw forward
30 plank to push ups (OMG DEAD)
(x4)

7 min row machine, alternating 1 min hard, 1 min easy

15 bench press
15 kneeling push up on bench, slow down
15 plank on bench, side raise
(x4)

Party on!

day nineteen.

Uh oh. Negativity is starting to creep in on this excited little foodie heart. I just calculated how much money I have spent at grocery stores since starting, and it's frightening. I have spent over $100 a week. OH NO. And yeah I can calculate in spices and oils and things that will last me longer, but I also didn't calculate in the Well Fed cookbooks I bought, or the zoodle maker. It's so difficult cooking for just one person in this way, and I think it makes it more expensive. Also, homemade mayo is too big of a batch, I can't seem to go through it in time. I have to find a reason to use it...

I also had this thought this morning during my commute, apologies for the morbidity.
If I got in a car crash right now, would I say, I should have eaten more donuts...
Yes, yes I definitely would.
But then I reminded myself of all the good stuff that's happening with my body and it made me feel better.

But these things have made it a tougher day then most. But here's the important part, it's still not that tough! I happily ate my meatballs, sauteed peppers, avocado and raspberries for lunch! And yeah everyones fish tacos from the caf looked wonderful, but I was totally OK. And I feel even better now. And last night, oh boy last night. I had some more of that freaking sweet potato casserole THAT WILL NOT DIE (It's not awful tasting by any means, but I want my meals to be cute and new and photographically inclined like my fave Whole30 instagrams. the struggle is real you guys) and a grapefruit. Then I went to J's and he made a pizza, and I cringed with want. BUT it wasn't that hard! How crazy. My mind is in total control of my body right now and I still am in complete awe over how amazing that feels. I still can't describe it to other people. I still sound crazy. I think I sound like I have an unhealthy mindset to some people. And who knows what's right or wrong, but all I can think about right now is that for me nothing has felt more right.

We are OK, I'm OK, I can do this.

Party on!

day eighteen

Life is so good. I am just so happy lately. Not sure if it's all due to Whole30, but let's just say it is so I stay on this train.

My workout today was awesome:

100, 75, 50, 25
Alternating jump rope and crunches

12 bar squats
12 step ups, resist on way down
12 calf press on leg press machine
12 double leg side crunch
(x3)

6 min eliptical

12 squats, hold 5 seconds when down
10 forward, 10 backwards lunges
15 calf press machine
20 side plank lifts
(x3)

6 min treadmill

Party on!

day seventeen

This morning my sister joined me in my workout, and it was such a blast. Apparently we did everything in sync, and I feel like I could hear us grunting in sync sometimes too…we had a great workout this morning---and I feel incredible today. Getting up early on the weekend is so worth it once I get my ass out of bed. I get so much done!

Workout today:
7 minutes on treadmill (2 jog, 5 run)

15 laying chest press
15 dumbbell front squat
15 single arm bent over row, standing
15 curl and press
15 row boat with weight
Jog to hoop and back (x3)
(x4)

15 lunge with weight, each leg
15 overhead dumbell tricep extensions
15 band clamshells, each leg (this with a band)
15 calf raises with dumbbell
Sled down and back, switching with J
Jog to hoop and back (x1)
(x4)

Finisher
60, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10 of each
Double rope slam
Bicycle crunches

After our workout, J came home with me and I made her breakfast, which was incredible. She liked it too! 3 fried eggs, leftover TJ squash and guacamole, half a grapefruit, coffee and coconut LaCroix water (oh shit this stuff amaze balls p.s.). 

I made a quick batch of Whole30 mayo, and it was SO MUCH BETTER with light olive oil. That is a complete necessity for this stuff. Not sure what I'm going to do with it yet, but I want to try ranch or something similar to put on stuff. I wish I had another person to split this with. I guess I could do half batches, but it's tough when the recipe is perfect for one batch, like how it calls for one egg. 

And next up is laundry, cleaning, finishing up a wedding video, and then I'm going to a trampoline workout class with my roommate! That should be interesting! Didn't mean to make it a two-a-day, but I'm A-OK with it!

Party on!

day sixteen

Today was such a great day. Well besides getting up so early. My body is definitely trained now, since I woke up Saturday morning at 6:30, when I had an alarm set for 10:30. Uuuuufta. BUT besides that the day was so wonderful. I had myself an amazing breakfast, 3 fried eggs, cubed squash from TJs (holy cow is that stuff amazing, I could have it for every meal right now), guacamole from TJs, a big old glass of water and some coffee for the road.

I picked up my sister down the road, and we headed to my grandparents house for lunch. It looked super delicious, bread and soup and all around non Whole30 things, but guess what, I was happy with the meatballs and salad I brought. And I was even happier after the meal, and even today, that I stuck with this. How worth it:) It's only hard for about a few minutes. I made my own salad dressing too which was super good. I just threw in some strawberries, slivered almonds, apple cider vinegar and olive oil in a food processor. It was pretty darn good! I also snuck in an Rxbar for a snack in the afternoon, naughty maybe, but I don't have guilt! 

This is the cool thing, I was so completely energized to be around all of these people I loved (maybe even more so since I'm naturally energized from eating so well I think). The food didn't matter. What mattered is where I was and who I was with. I know some people say "food is love", but there was so much love in the room, food was not important. It feels so wonderful that food does not have control over me anymore. 

After lunch my dad and I went to the Wild game, which again provided a lot of delicious looking temptations. But I wasn't even barely tempted. It was beautiful. I brought meatballs into the arena, and some cashews, and was happy as a clam to have that as my dinner rather than mini donuts and a beer. 

Such a great 16th day:)

Party on!

day fifteen

Now that two weeks is down, I have been a little disappointed with myself today. I saw some change in my body days ago, and now I find myself thinking, well why do I not feel different every day. That is so not something I want this to be about. Instead I'm going to put my energy and thoughts into last night. How my friends ate this delcious looking (and smelling pizza), and I didn't have any. I happily ate my meatballs, sauteed veggies and avacado. And you know what, it was so satisfying. I felt full and happy. And even better today when I know how worth it it is to keep this going. Yahoo! Small hills to climb and they feel so good! I also had a precious newborn in my arms while they ate, so that helped too :)

Breakfast today was my typtical 2 hardboiled eggs with cinnamon and coffee.
Lunch is baked chicken with sweet potatoes, carrots and green sauce, apples and spinach plain salad.

Again, todays workout was SO GOOD:

Treadmill - 3 min 15% incline walk, 3 min 10% incline jog, 4 min 3% incline run

20 alternating plank rows
10 one arm rope slams
10 goblet presses
Down and back farmer walks
(x3)

10 presses
10 sit ups, throw medicine ball to wall
Sled down and back (so much weight, oof)
10 medicine ball slams
(x3)


15 tire flips, jump through
15 box hops
15 knees to chest with sliders
30 mountain climbers with sliders
(x3)

Dinner was my first zucchini noodles! With pesto!

Party on!

DAY FOURTEEN!

Wowza. How cool is this. Somehow it's been the longest two weeks, but the shortest at the same time. I thought I would check in with the "what to expect" timeline on the Whole30 website, and this is from day 12-15:

"Boundless energy! Now give me a damn Twinkie.

Hurray! The slump is over! Your pants fit again! Your energy levels are better than normal – you’re downright Tigger the bouncing tiger! But something weird is happening. You’re dreaming. Not crazy nightmare or strange surrealist dreams, either. Incredibly normal and realistic dreams – about donuts. Or Twinkies. Or Snickers. In your mind, sometimes you get caught and feel guilty. Sometimes you just brazenly eat the contraband. But then, the feelings start following you into the waking hours. Suddenly, you’re craving things you don’t even like. (For me, it’s Diet Coke and Twinkies, for Melissa Hartwig, it was fast-food cheeseburgers!) Your co-workers’ heads transform into giant Girl Scout Cookies as you gaze on in disbelief. Seriously, you’ve almost hit the halfway mark, and now this?!

All joking aside, though, this phase gets really intense and for some people. This is the part of the program where our minds try to drive us back to the comfort of the foods we used to know. Our food relationships are deeply rooted and strongly reinforced throughout the course of our lives and breaking through them is really big deal. Journaling can be especially enlightening and helpful during this phase, and helpful for reflection later. Take some time to jot down what you’re craving, how you’re feeling and what tools you’re using to work through the cravings."

This is pretty darn accurate for me. My pants are definitely fitting better, my energy levels are great (especially considering how little sleep I have had, which is my own fault, bad samara). I am having random cravings, like tortillas. But I move past them so  quickly. I'm not afraid of being around cravings either, which is huge. Tonight my friends are having pizza, and Saturday my family is cooking an amazing lunch, but I'm not worried about the food at all (I'm only worried about having to defend what I'm doing, which makes me sad, but is totally understandable too). Snacking has been creeping in a tad, PMS doesn't help with that. But I don't feel guilty if it happens really (a big change!), I move past it and get excited to eat my dinner. I think the bolded part is definitely true though. Though I feel strong, parts of me feel weak. But dayum that explanation after is perfect. I feel so powerful breaking through the control food has on me. It's incredible, really.

On another note, my workout was so fantastic today:

Treadmill - 3 min 15% incline walk, 3 min 10% incline jog, 4 min 3% incline run

10 rope machine, face pulls
10 one arm, resistant band, straight arm across body
10 one arm snatch (with more weight than you could do statically)
10 decline weighted sit up
(x3)

10 TRX V's
10 arnold press
50 rope slam V's
25 rope jumping jacks
(x3)

Finisher - this was crazy hard and crazy amaze balls
Sled rope pull down turf
50 single rope slams
Push sled back down
(x3)

Party on!

day thirteen

I just love Whole30. I really really do. It's been hard sharing thoughts with friends and family. Some aren't exactly excited about it, though of course they are supportive. But their feelings aren't wrong. They are so right. I am obsessive. They are worried about what this will mean when I'm done. If I will be obsessed with rigid programs every few months, and then fall into "normal" eating again. The thing that's hard to explain is that I want how I'm eating now to be my "normal" and for the way I was eating before to be "abnormal".

 

And it's so hard to defend that, because I totally get where they are coming from. But here's the part that I can't explain that's in my heart. Of course I get joy from eating food I used to eat, I would get a lot of joy from a burger, a McFlurry and Fruity Pebbles. But this is what I've learned. That is so temporary. The joy I get from my spending a few minutes gathering simple ingredients, putting it in a magical machine with sharp blades, and watching clean, home-made mayo appear magically gives me more joy and more meaningful joy. People wonder why such a rigid guideline is needed for this, and I totally get that too. But some people are all or nothing, and I really think I'm one of those people. Based on a few years of experimenting...I just think I need to be a clean person in general. Not just someone who eats clean during the week, and can splurge on the weekends. I don't consider myself to have an addictive personality, since I'm really afraid of addiction. But maybe that means I do have issues with addiction. Maybe I'm even addicted to this program right now. But here's the thing. I would rather be addicted to learning to cook, and reading labels, and researching alternative recipes - then addicted to temporary craving fixes that give me no adrenaline, mentally or physically.

 

I'm not sure any of that even makes sense, but sometimes that's for the best.

 

Despite my confused feelings, I am really happy right now, and feel like I'm doing something that is right for me. I want to continue to be sensitive and aware of people around me that aren't into eating the same way I am. And I want to learn to control how much I talk about this lifestyle change a little more, maybe I should get more involved in the online community so I have an outlet.

 

Anywho, last night I sauteed some TJs veggies in Ghee. Holy shit. Game changer. It was so delicious. Especially after having the veggies raw the night before, this was so much better. Also, ghee is amazing.

 

I paired the veggies with some of my left over sweet potato casserole (again). The bummer about cooking for one is that it's hard to make new meals. I love leftovers, but it doesn't allow for many pretty photos. At least my kitchen is cute so I can have my tile floor in the background...priorities folks.

 

Also, I didn't workout this morning, due to date night last night. It's totally worth it because it means a lot to John (even though I still fall asleep really early :( ). But holy cow does it change my day. I miss it so much when I don't have it to start my day. I feel so lucky! To have found an outlet that I love, and motivates me to come every day. What a blessing.

 

day eleven and twelve

9:42am

 

Last night I tried the potato casserole I had made on Saturday. It definitely is not a pretty creation. But it wasn't bad! I'm not a huge sweet potato fan, and it was heavy on the sweet potato flavor (duh). But I really am hoping to acquire a taste for the little buggers, we'll see! It did it's job of filling me up, which is exciting in itself. I also treated myself with a grapefruit. Then I went to Hip Hop, which is such a good time. The dance was really hard and I for sure just kind of wiggled and made it look like I knew the choreographed part.

 

Mondays Workout:

 

Elliptical - 3 min level 18, 3 min level 15, 4 min level 10

10 alternating plank row

10 burpee + curl and press

10 straight leg sit up with dumbbell

5 down and back on turf

(x4)

 

10 one legged bench squat

10 full kettle bell swing

10 medicine ball slams

3 down and back on turf

(x4)

 

Todays Workout:

 

Treadmill - 3 min 15% incline walk, 3 min 10% incline jog, 4 min 3% incline run

10 wide grip lateral pull down machine

10 lying t bar machine

10 resistance bicep curl

30 bicycle crunch

(x4)

 

10 back row machine

10 seated dumbbell curl

10 one arm, bent over dumbbell row

30 V-ups on bench

 (x4)

 

Finisher - rotating with 3 people

60-50-40....10

Rope slams

Plank for length of above

Rest

(rotate each level, per person)

 

Today is such a good day. Day twelve and I feel magical. I never would have believed my attitude could be this way. I feel encouraged, and capable and excited. And let's be real, the changes in my body are a plus too. My pants are loose, my face is thinner, my skin is better. I don't think I have gotten my afternoon headache the past 2 days! My digestion is still questionable, but I might not see a difference in that for a bit longer. Looking on instagram last night at all these beautiful photos of food, that I could totally make, made me beyond excited for what's to come. I can totally live like this for good I think! Working out is a huge part of it too. Life is just so full like this. But I'm also realistic, I know I'm in an obsessive, excited state right now. So I am just going to bask in this for now, and have high hopes that I can keep this going beyone 30 days. But for now...

 

Party on!

2:49pm
UPDATE, the sweet potato casserole was really really delicious today! Maybe it's because it's snowy and it was warm and hearty, or maybe my standards are lower today. Either way, it was a really wonderful lunch for today.

9:49pm

Dinner tonight was grilled tuna with pineapple and onions and chopped veggies from Trader Joes! Really yummy, probably a bit too much pineapple, but next time I will put the rest away so I don't binge eat it:)