Day 31: My Post Whole30 Wrap-up!

Yesterday was the day, friends. The LAST day of my #Whole30 program, which I started on January 1st! It's been quite an adventure. Some days seemed never-ending, and others flew by. Most days, I felt excited, refreshed, and challenged by this new lifestyle. Some days, I felt defeated and felt like quitting. But I did it!!

Post Whole30 Reflections

Biggest Challenges: 

• Going out to eat and staying compliant
• Resisting the Jewish Grandmother-offered snacks, with a side of guilt about why I'm "so thin now"

Easier than I Thought:

• Because there were lots of strict rules, it was easier than I thought to follow them

Favorite benefit:

• I don't think I can choose- but I feel great and that's probably the best benefit for me. No bloated feeling, no cheese-induced bathroom trips.. so nice!

Before Whole30

• 117 lbs
• Always noshing on chocolate in the afternoon
• Afternoon tiredness hit me every day at 3pm
• Trouble turning down unhealthy foods when offered
• Potential sensitivities to gluten and lactose
• Lots of guilt around what I ate that didn't make me feel good

After Whole30

• 111 lbs
• I have "pre"-abs that are starting to show!
• Have almost eliminated "bored snacking"
• Comfortable with no added sugar in Tea, Sweet Potatoes, other "desserts"
• Found lots of new ways to incorporate more veggies into my diet, as well as protein
• Knowing that I "Eat Clean" makes me feel good, mentally & physically

Challenges Ahead:

• Going "off-plan" and still being able to eat healthfully 
• Reincorporating gluten and grains without going overboard and becoming the Pasta Queen again!
• Figuring out a way to fit occasional healthy desserts into my diet without it being an every-day occasion.

So off I go! For the next few days I am going to try to re-incorporate some dairy products- namely cottage cheese and greek yogurt. I am nervous for the way my stomach might feel when I eat these things, but I know that if they bother me, I can simply eliminate them from my diet!

My Plan for the weeks ahead

Eat Clean(er)

• 6-8 servings Vegetables/day
• 2-3 servings of protein/day from:
•  sustainable meat & eggs
• legumes
• nut butters
• cottage cheese/greek yogurt
•  2-3 servings of Fruits/day
• 2-3 servings of Whole grains/day
• Chocolate in moderation (2-3 servings per week)

• Avoid:
• Refined/enriched grain items 
• Milk and cheese (not including cottage cheese/greek yogurt)
• Added sugars, although prioritizing honey & maple syrup as sweeteners when applicable

Staying Motivated AFTER Weight loss

I'm at a VERY exciting point in my continual fitness journey- a point where I am almost at my "target weight"! To even call it that might not be accurate- my target weight is less of a weight I've always dreamed of being and essentially a weight that I think is healthy and manageable for my age, height, gender, size, and fitness level.

One lesson of the many I've learned on this journey is that I am hugely motivated by goals. If I don't have defined goals, it ain't happening. On the other hand, if I have clear, SMART goals, I can amaze myself with what is possible! So as I'm heading down towards this magical "target weight", I've started a new list of Health & Fitness Goals for my new, weight-maintenance world. I'll be turning my focus from weight loss to strength and muscle development, flexibility, and improved athletic performance.

Process goals

Work out 6 x a week for 60 minutes

Incorporate the following workouts into schedule:

• 2 short runs (between 2.5 and 5 miles)
• 1 long run (6-10 miles)
• 3 45 minute weight sessions (2 Strong Lifts x week)
• 1 yoga class
• 1 Spin class

Up calorie intake to 1450/day + extra workout calories 

Maintain weight at 110 lbs +/- 2 lbs

Fitness Goals

Body fat percentage: 

• 20% by 3/7/13
• 16% by 6/7/2013

Improve run times (by 12/31/2013)

• 5k time: under 26 minutes
• 10k time: under 50 minutes
• Complete a Half Marathon in under 2 hours 

13 in 2013 Challenge (by 12/31/2013)

•  Complete 13 fitness events in 2013 (see my list of events on the right)!
  

Pull-ups (by 12/31/2013)

• Do 10 consecutive pull-ups!

Strong Lifts: (by 3/7/13)

• Bench Press- 65lbs
• Overhead Press- 60 lbs
• Deadlift- 100 lbs
• Row- 80 lbs
• Squat- 100 lbs

Health/Nutrition Goals 

Eat Clean(er)

• 6-8 servings Vegetables/day
• 2-3 servings of protein/day from:
•  sustainable meat & eggs
• legumes
• nut butters
• cottage cheese/greek yogurt
•  2-3 servings of Fruits/day
• 2-3 servings of Whole grains/day
• Chocolate in moderation (2-3 servings per week)

• Avoid:
• Refined/enriched grain items 
• Milk and cheese (not including cottage cheese/greek yogurt)
• Added sugars, although prioritizing honey & maple syrup as sweeteners when applicable

Share:  
Have you gotten to a place of weight maintenance? If so, what goals keep you inspired and motivated?

Incorporating Whole30 into a long-term Healthy Lifestyle

Now that I am finish Day 20 of the Whole30 program, I'm able to see lots of positive result but some interesting realities as well. There are some big "pros" to eating a Paleo-esque diet, and some drawbacks as well.

Mini-Fritatta muffins with Bacon... mmmm! Def a PRO.

Whole30 program "Pros":

• Focus on veggies
• Learning new ways to prepare meat & incorporate into diet
• No added sugars= increased awareness of how much sugar I was eating 
• Focus on quality ingredients, from organic produce to sustainable meat
• Inclusion of healthy fats such as coconut, avocadoes, and olive oil
• Stops me from using bread as a filler at every meal
• Body is feeling good- no bloating, inflammation, or stomach irritation
  

Whole30 Program "Cons"

• Find myself eating lots of fruit, and going over my recommended sugar amounts anyway
• I don't really want to eat this much meat! 
• This is definitely a hard diet to maintain while simultaneously being a person in the world

Overall, I think that there are more pros than cons to the Whole30 program and to Paleo-based eating in general, but I am starting to think about what Day 31 will look like for me. Which foods will I choose to re-incorporate; which will I decide to live without?

My post-Whole30 daily diet thoughts so far:

a typical #Whole30 grocery haul for the week!

• Focus on Vegetables
• 2-3 servings of protein from:
•  sustainable meat & eggs
• legumes
• nut butters
• cottage cheese/greek yogurt
•  2-3 servings of Fruits
• 2-3 servings of Whole grains
• Chocolate in moderation (2-3 servings per week)

Avoid:

• Refined/enriched grain items 
• Milk and cheese (not including cottage cheese/greek yogurt)
• Added sugars, although prioritizing honey & maple syrup as sweeteners when applicable

*Note- I really prefer the taste of refined/white flours & grains for many foods (pasta, rice, etc) so I think I will just limit my intake of those items in general. I do enjoy whole wheat bread, and I have locally-grown grains that I can mill at home to make bread with! I'm comfortable with occasionally eating bread, which I made at home that will have a list of 4 ingredients.

*Note- Baked goods with refined flour and chocolate are my downfall. Chocolate chip cookies! I need to indulge in these treats sparingly without "treating myself" to 2-3 cookies per day.

I'm trying to keep an open mind until the end of my Whole30 program, and after I re-introduce some of the eliminated items, before I make any firm opinions or decisions. Overall, I think I have already learned a lot about my eating habits, my diet pitfalls and weak points, and I've expanded my recipe repertoire a LOT! All positive outcomes that will contribute to my health in the long-term.

Day 15- Whole30 reflections at my Halfway Mark

I have been a bit of a Whole30 rollercoaster for the past several days. I had a few days (Days 11 & 12) where I was angry at the Whole30 program, and myself. I asked myself "Why did I decide to do this stupid Whole30 thing anyway!?" . Whole30 is tough in that way- it's an intense change from the Standard American Diet, even for those of us who were already eating a lot more healthily. Since it's a self-imposed diet & lifestyle change for me, at times it can feel ridiculous.

Om nom nom. Bacon!! and a Carrot-orange-ginger Juice

I quickly found out that I was also starting my period on Day 11, which that explains the over-emotional reaction as well as the 3 minute mini-breakdown I had where I whined to my hubs, "Whyyy-ah? Why can't I just have some breaad-ah?". He reminded me that I'm doing a really great job, and that I would be upset with myself if I "cheated" now. Thanks, man! :)

Other than that little break in confidence, and the occasional nightmare in which I consume non-Whole30 compliant foods and wake up thinking that I really ate those things, I have been feeling really great. I mean REALLY GREAT! You feel great when you regularly eat bacon for breakfast, I've found ;)

It's hard to describe the changes and improvements I've been seeing, because I think the main change that I see is the absence of certain symptoms of the foods I'm not currently eating; of stomach issues, irritation, or inflammation. The important thing to note about this change is that I do not have any (known) allergies, but despite that, I have definitely noticed these Things I am no longer feeling in my body: (These are not particularly gross but TMI warning if you can't handle normal human body functions):

• No more uncomfortably full feeling I would get at least 4-5 times a week after a meal
• No more need to run to the bathroom after eating cheese or dairy products
• No more inflated-stomach feeling I get when I eat most grains (esp. gluten)
• No more 3-4pm energy crash 

Other positive effects I am noticing:

Awesome Salad- Roasted Beets, Butternut Squash and Kale!

• More steady energy throughout the day
• More recognition of sugar cravings AS sugar cravings when they happen, and being able to re-direct them (sometimes!)
• Little-to-no bloating/water retention while on my period. Usually my weigh goes up by 1-3lbs while on my period, so I just stopped weighing myself for that week. I happened to weigh myself today, and I am down 1lb from my weight as of 2 days ago. That's the opposite of a typical period week for me!
• Feeling that my body is able to actually utilize the calories I am feeding it, rather than just storing them

It's Day 15 of the Whole30 Program, and I am feeling glad that I committed to this challenge. 
Here are my goals for my next 15 days of my first Whole30 program:

1. Continue to reduce my sugar intake, even though it's all from fruit
2. Make 2 new crockpot recipes per week 
3. Find two new breakfast options that are still "breakfast-y"
4. Cook something with turkey (roasted turkey, turkey burger, etc)

Thanks for reading! If you've done Whole30 before, please comment on this post and share your thoughts! If you're interested in knowing more about my Whole30 experience, send me a message!

Whole30 Recap- 1st Week done!

Week 1 is done- I'm into Whole30 Day 8! That means I've had no breads or grains, milk, cheese or dairy products, added sugar or sweeteners for 7 days! It also means I've had LOTS more: vegetables, sustainable meats, fruits in moderation, and nuts and seeds. 

Overall, I am feeling really great. My skin is clearer, I feel like I am more focused at work and at home, and I have not struggled as much as I thought I would with the eliminated items like chocolate and bread. Not saying that I wouldn't like to chomp a whole bowl of noodles right now- I totally would. BUT I'm not going to chomp a bowl of noodles, and I'm ok with that.

I am continuing to weigh myself every few days, because I was already 4 months into this healthy eating & workout plan before I started Whole30. I don't want to start eating a ton of "healthy fats" and get off track. My goal with Whole30 is to eliminate the need for all these unneeded items in my diet, but I seem to be loosing some more weight as a side effect, which is great!

The best part about Whole30 so far is the eating habits that I see changing in myself. A quick example- I keep thinking "What will I eat for dinner? I've already eaten meat, vegetables, and fruits.." and then I laugh and remember that those are the healthy building blocks of a diet and that I can just eat more of them! Another example- I've made guacamole a few times, and for a second I panic and think, "Oh no! I can't can't tortilla chips- what will I scoop this with?". Again, my brain kicks in, and I remember- oh yes, the innumerable number of vegetables that would go well with guac, like red pepper slices, carrot sticks, celery, etc.

The Whole30 has definitely necessitated a bigger change in my eating habits than I thought I would be- here I was thinking I was eating SO healthy before. I was eating pretty well, but there is always room for improvement, and my body is thanking me for it! 

Having some Whole30 buddies has been really helpful. If you're out there in the middle of a Whole30, considering one, or looking for more Whole30 support and info, make sure to check out these lovely ladies:

Fit & Awesome
Wine to Weightlifting
Holly Would if She Could
Listen. Learn. Love. Mend

Thanks for your virtual support during this awesome challenge! If you are Whole30-ing it up right now, keep trucking! If you're thinking about it, feel free to contact me with questions.

Recipe Re-purposing: Banana "Ice Cream"

Today for the StartClean2013 challenge, the prompt is about re-purposing a recipe to make it healthy & clean. My recipe repertoire usually fall into one of two categories: Super Healthy or Treats. So while my actual food recipes (soups, stews, stir-fries, salads, etc.) are pretty damn healthy, my Goodies could use an upgrade.

I tried out this recipe the other day for Banana "Ice Cream". It was- excuse my language- fucking delicious. And it's SO healthy, I can't even handle it. Perfect for those of us in the middle of a Whole30 program, or trying to Eat Clean. It doesn't even have chocolate in it, which is usually my requirement for all good desserts. Maybe it's the Day 8 crazy-talk, but I don't even miss the chocolate. WOAH.

Anyhow, try it out, and let me know what you think. If you use bananas as a base, you can add other fruits- my personal favorite are raspberries, so that's what this recipe calls for. 

Banana "Ice Cream"

 Ingredients:

1 frozen banana

1/2 cup frozen raspberries

1-2 tbsp coconut milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

• Blend banana and raspberries in a food processor for 1-2 minutes. 
• Add in coconut milk and vanilla, and blend entire thing until mixed, but don't over blend!
• Eat the heck out of this, and pat yourself on the back for getting in a serving of fruit and some healthy fat!!

Happy Eating!

Crockpot Beef Stew with Root Vegetables

It's super-easy. It's delicious. It's Crockpot Beef Stew! Featuring delicious root veggies that are actually in season now here in frigid Michigan :) This is a good recipe if you're eating clean, or doing the Whole30 program, like I am currently doing! I put in white potatoes, because I have a ton from my winter CSA share. But if you want to be strict, you could totally sub sweet potatoes.

Crockpot Beef Stew with Root Veggies

Ingredients:
1 lb grass-fed beef stew meat
4 medium carrots
3 stalks celery
2 medium onions
4 fingerling potatoes
1 Eden Organics 14oz jar Crushed Tomatoes
Cumin, pepper, cilantro and red pepper to taste

Directions:

• Chop all vegetables into small, 1/2-1"-sized pieces. Peel potatoes if desired- not necesary
• Add all ingredients (minus cilantro) into the crockpot. 
• Mix ingredients together, and cook in crockpot on Low for 4-6 hours
• Add chopped cilantro to top your stew once served, if desired.

Enjoy!! I know I did.. :)

Starting the Year off Right- My first day of 2013!

Today, being January 1st of 2013, was the start of many great health commitments in my life, and a renewal to my existing commitments. Some new things on my "healthy plate" this year that started today include:

• Whole30 Program- "Think of it as a short-term nutritional reset, designed to help you restore a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, calm systemic inflammation and put an end to unhealthy cravings, habits, and relationships with food." Essentially the "Paleo Diet", but done for health reasons more than "this is what cavemen used to eat" reasons. A great focus on sustainable/organic meat products as well as fruits & veggies!
• 13 in 2013- I had set out already to do 12 in 2013 (that is 12 fitness events in 2013, or one a month), but found an entire group of folks doing 13 in 2013! A supportive virtual community is a big asset, so I've hitched my wagon with these folks.



Me and the hubs at #committmentday detroit

• StartClean2013 Challenge- Start Clean 2013 is not a diet, but does focus a lot on food. This challenge is about exploring food choices, get organized in the kitchen, and reflecting on food habits and choices. Includes Daily Prompts on Clean Eating & fitness!

Today, I took several big steps toward these commitments! The first of these was completing my 1st of 13 fitness events for the year: Mike and I ran the Commitment Day 5k in Detroit! It was chilly outside, but a lot of fun to start the year off running with my love :) Also, it was a pretty awesome experience to get to run through the tunnel onto Ford Field as a 5k Finish Line. This rally wasn't officially timed, but based on when we started and the time when we cross the finish line, we're estimating a 29m:00s run time, which is a PR for us both! Here's hoping that the other 12 races will be just as fun and inspirational.

The second big step was officially starting the Whole30 Program. I have been eating fairly "clean" for about 3 months now- little to no gluten, little to no dairy, a greatly-reduced amount of refined or added sugars, lots of fruits & veggies- but it is time to really double down for a month and see where clean eating can take me! There's a very extensive list of what NOT to eat, but I've summarized it here:

• Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Equal, etc 
• Do not consume alcohol, in any form, not even for cooking.
•  Do not eat grains. This includes (but is not limited to) wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, millet, bulgur, sorghum, amaranth, buckwheat, etc. 
• Do not eat legumes. This includes beans of all kinds (black, red, pinto, navy, white, kidney, lima, fava, etc.), peas, chickpeas, lentils, and peanuts. No peanut butter, either. This also includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, etc.
•  Do not eat dairy. This includes cow, goat or sheep’s milk products such as cream, cheese (hard or soft), kefir, yogurt (even Greek), and sour cream… with the exception of clarified butter or ghee. 
• Do not consume carrageenan, MSG or sulfites. If these ingredients appear in any form on the label of your processed food or beverage, it’s out for the Whole30.
• Do not eat white potatoes. 

I am going to ignore the white potatoes line item. It's Winter, I live in Michigan, and I'm trying my best to be a local foodie and a seasonal eater. Potatoes are like half of the veggies we're got here in the winter, man! Not really, but they are a big staple, along with carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, onions, cabbage, kale, spinach, and so on.

Still figuring out how to make these tasty juices look better..

The biggest changes for me will be the No Added Sugar and the complete elimination of Grains and Dairy. I've already made great strides in these areas, simply because I feel better without these products in my system.

Dairy really bothers my stomach, and grains make me feel bloated and yucky. I used to be the "pasta queen", as my husband pointed out to me last week, so even the reduction I've been doing so far has been a big change! The nice part is, since both grains and dairy bother me, even if I love my heart loves eat them, my head is getting more used to saying, "No! Remember last time you ate that and felt gross for a day afterwards?" Ah, yes.

In 2013, I'll continue to maintain some of the goals I've been progressing towards in the past 4 months of my new lifestyle:

• Working out 5 - 6 days a week for an hour
• Logging calories on MyFitnessPal app
• Maintaining and even increasing my weight loss and Body Fat % improvements
• Juicing at least 1 time/day

Feeling great and off to a strong start here in 2013! I've found a great deal of support from friends, co-workers, family, and the online community as well, including greatist.com and my fellow Greatist ambassadors, the StartClean2013 folks, and the 13 in 2013 runners! The support I am seeing between these folks is just amazing!

What goals do you have set or in mind for this year, and how will you make them reality?