Day 30- I MADE IT!!!!

YAY!!

Today was my last day of the Whole30 Challenge.  For lunch I had a big piece of meatloaf and some red pepper slices with walnut red pepper dip, with some blueberries.  I went to Whole Foods and spent $60 on some "good goods"!  I got some cans of Blue Monkey Coconut water, which has a slightly sweet, nutty taste that I like as a "treat", and some ingredients for paleo-friendly dessert recipes.  Yes, some expensive ingredients such as cocoa powder, chia seeds, liquid stevia, coconut milk, coconut flakes.

Unfortunately it started raining tonight, so I felt like skipping my run.  Instead, we got Chipotle for dinner, so I decided I would go ahead and "celebrate".  I got a bol with white rice, black beans, barbacoa, tomato salsa, lettuce and cheese.  I also had a few tortilla chips with guacamole, and a large Coke!  The coke wasn't as satisfying as I thought it would be.  That's a good thing!  After eating this meal, I felt perfectly fine.  I'm hoping later tonight or tomorrow morning I will notice some effects from the sugar I just consumed (or beans and dairy).

I also made gluten-free chocolate chip cookies using a bag of Bob's Red Mill mix.  They are actually for a physical therapy patient tomorrow, who has been with us for a long time.  I ate two of them, pretty good!  It's also worth mentioning that even things are "gluten-free" does NOT mean that they are healthy.  This mix was full of ingredients such as different types of starches, flours, cane sugar, brown sugar, etc.  Wheat-free yes, but not something I should be eating often.

So tomorrow I will continue to eat paleo during the day, but then I am going out to dinner with my cousins, aunt and uncle to officially "celebrate" with my uncle who also did this challenge.  We are getting pizza and beer! 

Tomorrow night's blog I will post my weight loss results and overall how I felt I did.

Day 29

Long day today, but I made it through!  haha

Breakfast was sausage crumbles and 3 eggs scrambled in 1 tbls coconut oil.  Lunch was a salad with bacon bits, 2 hard boiled eggs, 1/2 avocado, almond slices, pine nuts, and "garlic expressions" dressing...and some sliced radishes with walnut red pepper dip. I should also admit that I have been chewing gum when I work at the PT facility.  It does contain 2 grams of sugar alcohols.  I really like the new Extra Dessert Delights.  Almost satisfies a sweet tooth craving!

While nannying, I made my cousins egg noodles with buttered bread (I used to eat this growing up).  Full of gluten and other nasties!  haha  I did have the urge to eat some! 

Dinner was pot roast with mashed cauliflower and roasted brussel sprouts.  I also had a few slices of dehydrated apples- delicious!!  I didn't have the grapefruit last night, so I think I'll have that here soon to satisfy my sugar craving. 

Tomorrow is the last day of my challenge!!  Sorry my blog posts have been boring.  I'm getting sick of writing every day and no one is commenting (yes i know it's difficult for some reason)  LOL   On Wednesday I'll post a summary of my 30 day challenge, including my weight loss numbers!!  :)

Day 28

Today is food-preparing day, so I did just that!  My mom and sister went grocery shopping yesterday, so today I was able to chop up some things and cook this afternoon.

I slept in, of course, so for lunch I had leftover kale, pepperoni and kielbasa soup, some blueberries, and a few red pepper slices with the last bit of walnut red pepper dip.

I made a new batch of walnut red pepper dip (seriously like this stuff!) with a jar of roasted red peppers this time.  I also hard boiled a dozen eggs.. sliced up a bag of radishes and a few red peppers... sliced up apples to dehydrate...made meatloaf (Everyday Paleo recipe)...cooked up bacon for salad toppings...and made mashed cauliflower.


Once the sun set, I headed out for my 7 mile run with Cooper.  I like running in the dark.  LOL   It feels more peaceful, plus there is no one around to watch me huff by or dogs out to distract Cooper.  I enjoy being able to focus on the run, while listening to my music or a podcast.  I've been listening to Robb Wolf's "The Paleo Solution" podcasts, which I'm finding are very beneficial to my learning about the paleo lifestyle, and are answering a lot of questions regarding eating meat, fats, vegetables, and avoiding dairy, legumes, wheat and also topics about fitness, etc.  Another benefit of running at night is the run doesn't seem quite so long because you can't really see that far out in front of you.  ;) 

Here is my run summary:   About two hours prior I ate two pieces of bacon and a hard boiled egg. Then ate a few dehydrated sweet potato chips right before I headed out to run. Energy level was good. Overall, I felt very good. Those weird pains in my left leg were gone. Legs felt strong up until around 4 miles, when my ankle start feeling a bit weak. Tried picking up my pace whenever I focused on it. Some slight pain on top of my left ankle around mile 5-6. Started feeling a blister forming on my left big toe very early on, which annoyed me a little bit. Overall, good run. Happy with it. Felt fueled!  Here is the link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/145788553


After my run, I went downstairs to the gym to stretch, foam roll, and do some core exercises for about 20 minutes.  Then I ate dinner.  I had a piece of my meatloaf with some "1g of sugar ketchup" (see pic), and about 3 oz of pot roast that mom made, along with some mashed cauliflower, and some roasted brussel sprouts with bacon pieces (another Everyday Paleo recipe).  Yummy!

For dessert, I am going to have half a grapefruit. 


Two days left!!!  Yay!  I'm so excited to be finishing this! I'm looking forward to celebrating on Wednesday.  ;)  


Have a great week everyone, it's gonna be another crazy warm one here in Cincinnati!  (I hope it snows a lot in February!!!!!!!!)

Day 27

So I am making it through another weekend without too many temptations.  It sucks that I am avoiding situations where temptations are present (alcohol, especially).  Instead of going out tonight, I'm staying in because I rather hang out at home and eat some of my paleo food here, than go out and sip on water while watching my friends have a good time drinking.  I realize this makes me look like an alcoholic or something... haha  No worries, I'm not!  Although I will admit that I do like to have some adult beverages as a means of "having fun" a lot of times.

Well besides that, today was a decent one.  Went out for lunch with family and had a salad that had chicken and pecans, but the dressing was some sort of glaze-like dressing, which I"m sure had some sugar in it.  Oh well.  lol  So I've not been AS strict with this challenge as I could have been.  I still have gone without any dairy, grains, beans or alcohol!!  Along with the salad I had a small glass of V8 juice and some fresh fruit.

Later in the day I had some walnut red pepper dip with radish slices.  I didn't do my 7 mile run in the morning, so instead I squeezed in an hour spin on my bike while watching the Winter X Games.  It was a bit of a struggle because I haven't been on my bike in a while and my backside was not happy about that.  haha  I'll have to do my long run tomorrow- I'm aiming to do it first thing when I get up so that it's out of the way and I can get some cooking and food prep done early in the afternoon.

Dinner tonight was half a spaghetti squash with my meatballs and marinara.  So filling!  I really love spaghetti squash.  :)   Then had half a grapefruit for dessert. 

My cravings for sweets have subsided just a bit and I think I know why the past couple days I was having the cravings (female time, yeah). 

Three days to go!!!! 

Day 26- A bit irritable today!

Woke up today with allergies.  :(  I'm not sure why I get allergies off and on like I do.  I haven't been taking Zyrtec in at least 3 weeks now.  I need to get more soon.  I know that eating paleo is supposed to help with reducing allergies...and it may have, but I still have "bad days" and today has been one.  :(  Running, itchy nose and sneezing.  So annoying!

Lunch was beef stew and a couple dehydrated apple slices (those went fast!).  I had something else, but as of this moment I cannot remember what!  I ate a couple blueberries at my aunt's house while nannying, and a cup of berry green tea.  When my aunt and uncle got home we were discussing how my uncle and I are both irritable and grumpy.  haha  I am so ready to be finished with this challenge!  I will continue to eat this way, but restricting things like dairy and alcohol are not good for my mental health.  LOL  I am dying to let loose and have a few drinks, have some pizza (I can eat gluten free pizza!), and have some cake or cookies.   Being completely strict for 30 days has definitely wore me down.  Doing it in January has been even a greater challenge, because it's already a gloomy month, with not much to do on the weekends due to the cold and wet conditions.  My uncle was a bad boy again and drank some red wine last night.  I saw the two wine glasses sitting next to the sink today!  haha   He hasn't stuck to this as well as I have, but that's ok.   He says he has noticed a big improvement in how he feels overall, which goes to show how eating so clean does so much good to your body.

I came home and had dinner waiting- my sister brought me home a salad from Dewey's pizza- romaine lettuce, bacon pieces, tomatoes with their house balsamic dressing...and mom made a "soup" with kale, spicy tomatoes, pepperoni slices and kielbasa slices.  It was good, but too spicy.  Kielbasa is actually not Whole30 approved because it does have some nasty ingredients in it!

I'm really craving something sweet, but I'll stay strong and am now going to head to bed with the book I just got from the library:  Robb Wolf's "The Paleo Solution".  Yay!!

Tomorrow I have to run 7 miles, and I'll pick out some new recipes to try. 

Only 4 days left in the challenge.  I know I can make it!!!!!!!!

Day 25

Not much to say today.

Breakfast was 2 eggs (microwaved!) and some dehydrated apple slices. Lunch was steamed cauliflower with creamy chicken stew, then a couple dehydrated strawberries. 

Since it was raining tonight, I decided to skip running and instead pick up Longhorn for dinner.  :)   So I spent $20 and got an 8oz sirloin, vegetables, sauteed mushrooms, sweet potato with cinnamon and butter (yum!) and a side salad with their house honey mustard, olive oil dressing.  Afterwards, I ate an entire grapefruit.  I seriously felt like I was eating a "cheat meal" because it was a ton of food!  By the way, they gave me that small loaf of bread, but I didn't touch it and left it wrapped in the foil.  Also...that cake is still there! Somebody eat it damnit!! LOL  (my dad says he's been having a small slice everyday, but it's only half gone!)

Day 24

Snuck on the scale this morning.  No change there, but that doesn't mean much, because my pants are definitely looser!!  :)  I definitely need to go shopping to go a size down.  Yes!!!!  That feels awesome.  :)  I hope I keep losing inches!  I've lost 10lbs, and that was the first two weeks.  Sure, I will lose more as time goes on, but inches are what matter most!

Today for breakfast I had 3 hard boiled eggs, some almonds and about 1/2 cup of blueberries.  Lunch was the beef stew with some dehydrated apple slices.  I stopped by the grocery to pick up some items on my way to my aunt and uncle's house to nanny.  Got some more almond flour, some almond butter, organic raw honey, and a pot roast to make for their dinner tonight.  Oh, and an avocado, which I had as a snack mixed with some salt and lime juice, and dipped peppers into!  I was disappointed with the almond butter.  I have heard people in my Whole30 Facebook page group say that they have a it as a snack and that it is dessert-like...but I didn't find it very sweet or appealing.  Tasted pretty much like raw almonds to me- nothing exciting.

I had a little bit of the pot roast with mushrooms with my cousins, aunt and uncle.  Then my mom stopped by Frisch's for dinner, so she brought me home some vegetable soup and a tossed salad.  (Oh, I had some dehydrated apple slices when I got home).

Today I noticed that my left leg is still feeling weird...I think it's my anterior tibialis muscle.  It feels a bit weak and like my leg is going to give out when I put weight on it.  Weird...and not good!!  This has me a bit worried, as mileage is starting to increase in marathon training.  I will be running 7 miles on Saturday morning. :/   I'm going to massage that muscle tonight with "The Stick" and see if that helps any.

Sorry my blog isn't that exciting.  I'm getting bored with it.  (and not getting any comments)  :( 

That's all I have for today... see yaaaaaaaa

Day 23- 1 week left

One week left in the challenge!  YAY!  I don't think this challenge has been too "difficult", but I am really looking forward to being able to eat some sugar, cheese, and have some alcohol!  I've stuck to this because I want to say that I did it, and feel good knowing that I cut out all the "crap" for 30 straight days, and saw the beneficial results from it.  Tonight I came dangerously close to eating a huge piece of that cake, though!

Lunch was the red curry beef stew with some radishes and walnut red pepper dip.  On my way home from work this evening I had a few slices of dehydrated apples, strawberries and sweet potatoes so that I was fueled enough for a run.  As I got home, my family had just left to go out to dinner- Mio's Pizzeria.  I sadly declined their offer to join.  I could have gotten a salad, but a salad without the cheese while eating out surrounded by others eating pizza and steak hoagies, just doesn't sound great to me.  LOL  So instead I stuck to my goal of going for a run/walk with Cooper.   But...  as I was contemplating skipping my run and just making myself dinner, I took the cover off of the cake dish, and looked at that delicious cake.  It was begging me to take a big slice!!  I stood there for probably a minute, thinking about whether or not I should cheat and just go ahead and eat some.  What is the big deal anyway?  But I couldn't.  I want to do this challenge 30 straight days, with no cheats.  (Ok, I'll admit I swiped a tiny little speck of icing just to taste it's sweetness and it was damn good!)  But I still resisted eating the cake!  :)

The one thing that I'm worried about is over-doing it with "cheats" after this challenge is over.  I'm already thinking of all the yummy things I want to eat!  :/   I have to remember that I can have them only ONCE a week.  Just to stay sane!!

So I went upstairs and got dressed to head out for a run.  Tonight my quads and left lower leg were feeling a bit weak.  Maybe because I wasn't fueled enough,  not sure.  I've been trying to do more ankle exercises to strengthen them.  I felt a bit sluggish, but made it 4.5 miles and felt a lot better that I had done it and resisted the cake.  I went downstairs to the gym and did a little bit of ab exercises, stretching and foam roller.  Here is the workout: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/144421751

Now for dinner I'm eating some steamed cauliflower with the creamy chicken stew.  Late dinner tonight, I know. 

See ya tomorrow!

Day 22

Brief post tonight:


Breakfast- 3 eggs, 2 oz sausage crumbles in 1 tbls coconut oil
Lunch- purple cabbage, spinach, broccoli slaw salad with 2 hard boiled eggs, 1/2 avocado, 1 tbls almond slices with homemade vinaigrette... some pepper and radish slices with 1 cup walnut red pepper dip...dehydrated apple slices
Snack- few pepper slices with 1 tbls walnut red pepper dip, a couple cashews
Dinner- bowl of creamy chicken stew over spaghetti squash, 1/4 cup cashews

Today I felt fine, although was feeling a bit bored with my food options today.  I'm really looking forward to splurging a bit when this is over, so I'm hoping that I don't lose this discipline that I've gained!!! 

That's it for tonight... lata

Day 21- 3 weeks!!

I've completed 3weeks- yay!!

Today I cooked a little bit.  I had some dehydrated apple slices when I got up, before I began cooking.  First, I made a Red Curry Beef Stew in the crockpot from the "Everyday Paleo" cookbook.  Ingredients included stew meat, sweet potatoes, and purple cabbage.  Next, I made Creamy Chicken Stew again, but this time I added some spices to try to make it taste more like an Indian dish (coriander, turmeric, curry).  I ate this for lunch over some spaghetti squash.  It was still yummy, but not a strong "Indian flavor" to it, unfortunately.  I also ate a salad. Here are the pictures:

 

 After the dehydrated apple slices were finished, I cut strawberries in halves and put them in the dehydrator.  They will be finished tomorrow morning.

About two hours after eating (and after the Ravens blew it and lost to the Patriots), Cooper and I headed out for a 5.3 mile run.  Felt much more energetic this time around, thanks to a good source of fuel! Here is my workout: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/143927868   After coming inside, I went downstairs to the gym and stretched, did some core exercises and rolled a bit on the foam roller.  I really need to make this a habit!  Before I showered and ate dinner, I had some cashews, which seemed to bring up a tiny bit of indigestion.  Hmm...not sure why, but I'm taking note of it. Dinner was the red curry beef stew, which wasn't that great.  I realized that I don't like sweet potatoes cooked in stews.  The purple cabbage and beef were fine, but the red curry flavor didn't come out, and overall was fairly bland.

Well mom decided she would try to test me this evening, and made a cake with icing!! She said she was trying to get rid of the stuff in the cupboards.  LOL   It looks so delicious!!!  :(  But I have to resist, and not have any.  Not even a finger swipe of icing.  :(

Finished off the night with a few spoonfuls of Chia Coconut Peel that I had leftover.  Not as yummy as the cake would've been, but did satisfy my craving for a dessert.

Day 20

10 days left!!!

The sweet potato chips came out very well, although don't have much flavor.  They will suit my purpose of taking with me on long runs for fuel, though.  For lunch I ate half an organic spaghetti squash with marinara (only 1 gram of sugar in it!) and 3 of my homemade meatballs.  Followed it with half a grapefruit.

Went to Crossroads for mass/service and took a packet of Tazo Green Tea with me to drink (instead of black coffee, gross!).  The tea is not very appealing to me without a packet of Truvia.

Went out to dinner afterward, and successfully ate a satisfying and Whole30 approved meal!  :)  My friend and I told the hostess that we didn't want the rolls (which come with a delicious cinnamon butter!), so that's good that temptation was out of the way.  I ordered a side salad without the cheese and croutons, but the homemade Italian dressing probably had some sugar in it because it was delicious!  Oh well.  There were actually two strands of cheddar cheese in my salad, which I picked out!  LOL   Then I ordered an 8oz sirloin with a side of vegetables and a sweet potato.  Water with lemon to drink.  Great meal!! 

Came home and ate a few dehydrated apple slices (which went into the dehydrator after the sweet potatoes were finished this morning) and a handful of cashews.  Not sure why, I'm not hungry!  The apple slices are great, by the way!  Will make more of them tomorrow.  :)

Busy day tomorrow- run, grocery shopping, and cooking some meals for the week!

Day 19

Today I went for a jog first thing when I woke up.  I typically don't ever exercise without eating something prior, but was hoping that maybe I could tolerate this run on an empty stomach.  Well, it didn't work.  Bummer.  I felt a bit lethargic and overall lack of energy.  I definitely need to eat before, even if it's just a handful of nuts or two eggs. Tonight I'm going to try dehydrating sweet potatoes and see how they turn out, because I'm hoping to use dehydrated sweet potato chips as fuel for my long runs!

Cooper and I did 3.7 miles in the 21 degree weather, then came in and ate leftover pecan crusted chicken, and had some walnut red pepper dip with radish slices, asparagus, and then some blueberries.  Here is my workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/143178716

I nannyed my cousins today, and had to take one of the triplets to a birthday party at a bakery where they decorate cookies and cupcakes, etc.  I definitely had a craving then for cookies and cupcakes!!!  Mmmm  Those are my favorite "sweet", for sure.  I will definitely be treating myself with some cookies when this challenge is over.  ;)  I was also having other cravings for yummy food- pizza in particular.  It's Friday night, and I just felt the desire to eat something "good".  Sure, the food I'm eating now is good, but not THAT kind of good.  haha 

My uncle and I decided that we will celebrate the end of our Whole30 Challenge with a night of Indian food!!  I think we should follow that with some ice cream, too!  ;)

I definitely think that I should plan my "cheat meals" when I go back to eating with a bit more slack. I also plan to record how the foods affect me- such as weight, skin, GI issues...things like that.  Then I will be able to know that I should avoid a certain kind of food, or find out which foods I would be ok with eating every once in a while- like dairy products or rice, beans, etc.

My family got Chipotle for dinner, so I decided that I would get some, too, even though it won't be "as good" because I can't get the rice, beans or cheese.  I got a bol with lettuce, carnitas, tomato salsa and guacamole.  It was good, but so not as satisfying.  :/

Here's something cool- I submitted my "story of persistence and determination" to "The Feel Good Lifestyle" website, which is a pretty cool website about "Inspiration, Energy & Strategies to Feel Good Everyday".  Check it out!!  Here is the link:  http://www.thefeelgoodlifestyle.com/feel-good-stories

For dessert tonight I'm having a bit of  "Coconut Chia Peel", which is actually a dehydrated package made for backpacking trips.  I bought it recently, so figured I would try it out tonight since I am craving something sweet.  The ingredients are dates, chia seed, coconut, banana, ginger and cinnamon.  It has a mild flavor, and a texture like oatmeal.  It satisfied my craving.  I'll save some for tomorrow night, too!  :)

I'm going to finish off the day by choosing recipes to make this weekend!

Day 18

 Another good day down.  I did think about "other" food today, though!  I contemplated stopping for Chipotle for lunch, but decided not to.  Every time I think about eating something not Whole30-approved, I remind myself that I want to stick to this challenge 100%!  A little bit of rice, a little bit of cheese, one glass of wine...NOPE!  I want to stick to this and feel proud that I did it!!  Although I did "cheat" slightly on this challenge by eating things like bacon that contains nitrates, ketchup with a tad bit of sugar, canned cream of mushroom soup, and things to that nature, but I'll accept that!  My main goal is the big stuff.  I know I can do it for 12 more days!!!!  :o)

Breakfast was sausage crumbles (also made with nitrates and other "fillers", I need to find a replacement for this!) with 3 eggs.  Before I left my job at the PT clinic I had about an ounce of almonds, then later that afternoon hunted around my aunt and uncle's kitchen for something more substantial because I was feeling hungry.  Even though my uncle is also doing this challenge, I couldn't find any meats in the fridge, so I settled with some butternut squash soup that my aunt had made.  Very good!! I will try her recipe next time  :)  I had like 3 blackberries, also.  About an hour later, I had an "early dinner" because I wasn't going to be able to eat again until around 10pm.  I made 4oz of frozen tilapia and then made 2 eggs in the skillet.

After nannying my cousins, I went to a canvas painting studio called "Cheers to Art", where they instruct you how to do a specific painting, and while you're at it, you have fun, listen to music, drink wine or beer, and hang out with your friends!  I do like to paint acrylic, so this was something I've been wanting to do!!  I'm too much of a perfectionist, so I do not paint that often on my own, only when I'm feeling inspired!  haha  But this was a lot of fun and my painting turned out pretty good!  The only thing that wasn't fun was watching my friends drink wine!  :(

After coming home, I finished off the rest of my pot roast, and had some walnut red pepper dip with radish slices and a few asparagus spears.  It's 10:30 right now and I think I'm still a bit hungry, so I may have some pistachios (which I haven't had yet this week), and maybe a few blueberries for "dessert".

Tomorrow is a laid back day.  Will start looking at recipes and deciding what I want to make this weekend!

Day 17

Simple day today.  Breakfast was 2 hard boiled eggs and one of my muffins.  Lunch was pot roast, walnut red pepper dip with pepper and radish slices, a dill pickle spear, and half a grapefruit.  For dinner I made pecan-crusted chicken breast- very easy and delicious!  I cut up the chicken breast into pieces, dipped them in a spicy brown mustard/honey mustard mixture, then coated them with crushed pecan bits and baked in the oven.  I added a salad of purple cabbage and broccoli slaw with half an avocado and homemade dressing.  I'm feeling fine today, but wanting something sweet.  I think I'll have some blueberries here soon to finish off the day.  I am really looking forward to making some paleo wheat-free dessert recipes after this challenge is over!  :)

I was thinking about how well I'll stick to eating this clean once this challenge is over.  I'm hoping I can stick to it at least 90%, and allow myself one cheat once a week.  I think that would keep me going strong, but give me something to look forward to, also.

Tomorrow is a busy day- and the temptation of drinking wine and beer will be present later in the evening at a painting class that I'm going to!

Leave some comments?  :)  I like comments.

Cheers,
Tina

Day 16

I'm totally getting used to eating this way.  No cravings or "wants" so far this week.  I'm happy about that.  I'm feeling good so far, energy level has been consistent, and mood is also (I like to think I am a pretty calm, even-mooded person, anyway)  LOL

For lunch I had pork roast, some blanched asparagus spears, walnut red pepper dip and radish slices, with some blueberries, and one of my muffins.  I felt a little full, actually.  I decided to take some hot green tea with me to work, and added a tablespoon of coconut oil.  It was kinda yucky, though.  I'm not a fan of tea unless it has a sweet flavor to it, plus putting the coconut oil in it made it have a funny taste.  I'm trying to get more coconut oil into my diet because of all it's benefits: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/coconut-oil-health-benefits/#axzz1jlxY5qfX

I left work a bit early this evening to attend my second training session with my marathon training group.  Two weeks ago today is when I sprained my ankle.  I ran with a group of 20 run/walkers.  We run 2 minutes, then walk 1 minute.  I'm really liking this run/walk type training.  I've been doing this for the past year, actually.  We did 2..8 miles which was a lot shorter than I was expecting to run, so that was kind of good considering I'm still trying to get my ankle back to normal.  The first half of the run the pace was very comfortable.  We are running on sidewalks, so you are somewhat confined to follow the pace of the person in front of you.  Halfway through we started doing "striders", where we pick up the pace for one minute.  Once we started these, my ankle started to get a bit irritated (plus there were a couple short hills), and I started to fall back, and my heart rate started to increase.  I finished the run near the back, but felt ok overall. 

I think I am going to skip the Tuesday night group runs, though.  Here's why: I am not comfortable running with a large group on sidewalks and side roads with terrain that I am not familiar with- all because of my unsteady ankles, which make it even more risky that it's dark and can't see more than a few steps in front of me.  Also because I try too hard to keep up with the group, which raises my heart rate above the "fat burning zone", which before "The Primal Blueprint" and reading the research, etc on marksdailyapple.com, I thought keeping the heart rate high was a good thing... but it's not!  Not for an extended period of time, at least.  So I really want to keep my heart rate lower so I am burning my fat stores, and not glucose.  The last reason is because I don't want to leave work early.

Here is what Mark Sisson says about chronic high-level aerobic work (such as running):



The costs of chronic (repetitious) mid- and high-level aerobic work
- requires large amounts of dietary carbohydrates (SUGAR)
- decreases efficient fat metabolism
- increases stress hormone cortisol
- increases systemic inflammation
- increases oxidative damage (free radical production)
- boring!

Read more: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/case-against-cardio/#ixzz1jm0paEGq

 

 

So I think I'll be better off to run on my own during the week (Cooper will love that, too!), then do Saturday long runs with the training group- which are in the morning during daylight, and at a slower pace.

It's so crazy how my thoughts have changed so much regarding nutrition and exercise over the past 3 months since I've discovered paleo/primal.  It's so true how we have been misled to believe certain ideas because others have told us it was the "right way".  Now I know better and I continue to learn and do the research so that I can live my life to the fullest and be healthy in mind, body and spirit!  I just hope my friends and family don't mind that I try to convince and teach them, also!  ;o)

~Tina

Day 15

Quick post today, don't feel like writing much sorry.  haha  Breakfast was 2 eggs cooked with coconut oil and a paleo apple banana muffin.  For lunch I had my usual salad with about 3 oz of rotisserie chicken, and some blueberries. Later in the evening I had some cashews, another muffin, and some walnut red pepper dip with some pepper slices.  I'll eat dinner in about an hour- mashed cauliflower and my pot roast.  Yum!!  I'll probably have half a grapefruit afterward as dessert.  Today I was looking at another blog- comfybelly.com that had some delicious looking dessert recipes!!  That made me want chocolate.  I'll wait til this challenge is over to make them, as some of them call for honey, stevia, or cocoa powder as ingredients. Mmmmmm!

I also wanted to note that my acne has continued to flare up, and today I noticed it seemed rosacea-like.  I'm wondering if maybe cashews are triggering this?  Something to test out...I wont' eat cashews for a while and see if it clears up.  Ahhh so much to think about and consider when it comes to trying to be completely healthy!!!  It's hard work!  lol

See ya tomorrow...

Day 14- Halfway!!

Yay!! I am halfway through the challenge!  Things are honestly going really well.  I'm proud of myself thus far, and I know I can continue to eat this clean for another two weeks, and for years afterward (but I will allow myself "cheat meals" every so often to keep myself sane).

Today was a productive day!  I made a pot roast, butternut squash soup, hard boiled eggs, and blanched asparagus.  For breakfast I had some walnut red pepper dip with radishes and some cashews...then had a few sips of black coffee while at Crossroads service.  (their hazelnut coffee is pretty mild, actually, although still gross drank black!)

I went to the grocery store again to pick up a few more things such as a pot roast, more salad, blueberries and a couple grapefruits.  We've got a fully stocked fridge and I'm ready to eat well this week!  :)

I had some leftover spaghetti squash later in the day, and for (late) dinner I had a salad with a new recipe dressing (mint leaves, olive oil, apple cider vinegar and lemon juice), and some mashed cauliflower to go with my pot roast w/mushrooms.  Delicious!!

I also jogged this evening!  Cooper and I headed out into the cold for 3.3 miles.  I did some run/walk intervals of whatever I felt like.  Just a slow jog, but still a jog.  My ankle felt pretty good with the brace on, but it still is bothered a bit when I flex it too much (such as going up a hill).  Overall it felt good to be out on my feet and breathing the fresh air.  I'm going back to training with my marathon group this week, and I'll be taking things week by week!  Here is my workout:  http://connect.garmin.com/activity/142101315

Thanks for reading!  :)

Day 13- Why am I doing this challenge?

I am almost to the halfway point of the Whole30 Challenge.  Overall, I feel pretty good, and already I have learned that I do have self-control when it comes to eating and avoiding certain foods. 

In tonight's post, I want to explain to people a bit about the paleo diet and the Whole30 Challenge.  There are so many diets out there, that people have become so skeptical about them, and insist that diets do not work. Well that is absolutely true.  Diet's don't work.  It must be a lifestyle change.  You must learn how to eat healthy and continue to do so throughout the rest of your life.  But also, there are many factors and variables in how people eat and what they eat.  It really has become a huge argument/discussion in today's society.  I'm sick of it, and I'm sure many others are, also.  It is so hard to believe what is true these days.  80% of body composition is based on diet (sure we must exercise, but weight loss does not depend on it). 

What is the Whole30, you ask?  Here is some info taken from the website:

Certain food groups (like sugar, grains, dairy and legumes) could be having a negative impact on your health and fitness without you even realizing it. Are your energy levels inconsistent or non-existent? Do you have aches and pains that can’t be explained by over-use or injury? Are you having a hard time losing weight no matter how hard you try? Do you have some sort of condition (like skin issues, digestive ailments, seasonal allergies or fertility issues) that medication hasn’t helped? These symptoms may be directly related to the foods you eat – even the “healthy” stuff. So how do you know if (and how) these foods are affecting you?
Strip them from your diet completely. Cut out all the inflammatory, gut-disrupting, calorie-dense but nutritionally sparse food groups for a full 30 days. Let your body heal and recover from whatever effects those foods may be causing. Push the “reset” button with your metabolism, systemic inflammation, and the downstream effects of the food choices you’ve been making. Learn once and for all how the foods you’ve been eating are actually affecting your day to day life, and your long term health. The most important reason to keep reading?
This will change your life.
We cannot possibly put enough emphasis on this simple fact – the next 30 days will change your life. It will change the way you think about food, it will change your tastes, it will change your habits and your cravings. It could, quite possibly, change the emotional relationship you have with food, and with your body. It has the potential to change the way you eat for the rest of your life. We know this because we did it, and tens of thousands of people have done it since, and it changed our lives (and their lives) in a very permanent fashion. (Need convincing? Just read some of our stunning testimonials.)

That just sums up why I am doing this challenge.  My goal is to lose weight, first off.  I've removed grains from my diet (particularly the gluten filled wheat), and aim at eating little to no sugars and alcohol.  Since I did just this I began to lose weight, but I'm looking for a reason to be more "strict"- hence participating in this challenge.  I want to remove these things for 30 continuous days, as well as dairy, and see what happens to my body (physically, mentally, and emotionally).  Once the 30 days are over, I will begin to experiment by adding some of these foods back into my diet- such as dairy- to see if it affects my weight loss efforts and/or anything else (skin conditions, allergies, mucus levels, etc)  Get it??

After this challenge is over, I will continue to eat meat, eggs, fish, nuts, vegetables and some fruits...but I will also allow myself to have some alcohol and sweets on occasion.  "The Primal Blueprint" recommends the 80/20 rule (stick to eating clean 80% of the time, with 20% being "cheating")  But I may find out that when I do cheat and drink a wheat beer or have pizza or cookies, that my body reacts negatively to it...maybe in the form of intestinal issues or an acne or eczema skin breakout.  If so, that will just reinforce that my body is not meant to eat these foods and I should stay away from them completely.

So what is the paleo diet?  And the difference from the primal diet?  They are basically both eating like our ancestors did- foods that grow from the earth and from animals that were caught.  No man-made processed or manipulated foods that are full of chemicals and toxins.  Here is a good link:  http://www.marksdailyapple.com/whats-the-difference-between-primal-and-paleo/#axzz1jUoKuhbk

Here are two other links that explain why wheat and grains are unhealthy:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-guide-grains/#axzz1jUoKuhbk
http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/press-media/faqs/

I was very skeptical when I first came across the "Wheat Belly" book page on Facebook.  Just like many of you are, I argued how wheat and grains could be unhealthy when our society advertises them so much as being "heart healthy" and "full of healthy whole grains", etc, etc.  Well since reading the book, and many other blog articles, and research, I have learned why, and I am now a believer.  I am also finally losing the weight that I haven't been able to get off for 3 years, and I am not even exercising much right now!!  This discovery has changed my life.  This picture explains everything:

 

Well I could go deeper into this, but I will not waste the time here...that would involve way too much writing and gathering up resources to prove a point.

Today was a lazy day, I caught up on sleep and feel refreshed after a long week!  I had beef stew for lunch, along with some blueberries and half a grapefruit.  I chose to stay in and do a little cooking tonight.  Blahhh boring!  Anyway, I made the walnut red pepper dip, a mint salad dressing, and paleo apple muffins.  The dip didn't turn out as good as my uncle's did, but I think he made his with fresh red peppers and almonds (I used a jar of roasted red peppers).  The muffins were ok, somewhat satisfied the craving for a "dessert".  Oh, dinner was the primal meatballs and marinara over spaghetti squash.  Here are the pics:

Tomorrow will be some more cooking....and exercising!

Day 12- a bit challenging

Today was a bit challenging.  I was at my aunt's all day to stay with a sick kid, and ended up getting the boredom munchies.  Watching TV and playing games all day just made me want to eat!!!!!  Those damn Ho Ho's kept looking at me every time I opened the pantry door (where the garbage is). That and there were cookies that were opened, just begging me to take a few!!  But I resisted.  Instead, I snacked on more than enough cashews, blueberries, a grapefruit, some red pepper and walnut dip with red pepper slices, and a spinach salad with an egg.  For lunch I made a hamburger with some spicy brown mustard.  I just couldn't satisfy my urge to eat.  No, I wasn't hungry, either.  I think I'm just frustrated with this challenge.  I really want some chips and dip, cheese, popcorn, and a few bites of random foods!!!  LOL

But I am still trying to focus on my goal- weight loss, and resetting my metabolism...teaching my body to burn this fat I've stored up.  I am now becoming more aware of temptations.  I'm focusing on the fact that I can resist them, and learning how to keep myself happy by choosing other foods to replace these urges and temptations.  Noticing that today made me happy.  I just posted in a Whole30 Challenge Facebook group that I was unhappy with my unnecessary snacking today, and wrote everything that I ate...one person wrote back this:  "I fail to see what was bad about what you ate today. Protein at breakfast and lunch. Veggies and fruits throughout the day, some nuts. Sounds good to me!"  What I got from that- she's right...I ate all healthy, natural foods today, just ate more frequently than I needed to...but maybe my body needed that?   Hmmm.... just things to think about I guess.


Well I haven't had dinner yet.  I decided not to go to the party tonight because I had a runny nose/sneezing all day, and I didn't have anyone to drive to the party with, and didn't feel like driving there alone, etc.  It's better that I not be tempted by food and drinks.

My mom is making a beef stew for dinner and it won't be ready for a while, so I'm going to try to keep myself busy until it's ready.  Pretty sure after I eat I will fall asleep. (I did cheat- took a dose of NyQuil!!  10% alcohol  LOL )


Tomorrow I am hoping to test out my ankle and go for a light jog...that and I also want to get back to doing Crossfit workouts!  Hoping I have the energy!! (it was again lacking today- boo)  I picked out a few recipes to make this weekend, also!


Have a great weekend!


Tina

Day 11

Had a long day so this is going to be short.  Breakfast was the usual eggs and sausage crumbles...lunch I ate in my car due to working all day at two different locations.  I had a few pieces of beef jerky, blanched asparagus, some cashews and almonds, and some blueberries.  Came home around 7:30 tonight, tired and my feet hurt!  It would've be nice to have eaten LaRosa's pizza with my parents, but instead I went straight home and threw together a salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado and steak.  I also ate one chicken sausage that I got at Whole Foods- it was pretty good.   I just ate some pork rinds, which I'm finding I do not care for.  lol  So I guess that's one paleo approved snack that I won't be eating anymore!

I am really craving cheese now.  Not craving anything else, but the thought of eating something "bad" does appeal to me.  I think I'm just bored with what I ate today. lol  It was a long day and I'm really tired.

Check back with me tomorrow night, when I get home from the party...I'm hoping my post will say that I did not cheat on my challenge!!!  ;)

Day 10

Today went well, although I was lacking in energy for most of the day.  I am not sure if it is diet related or my weird work schedule, constantly changing sleep patterns.  Usually when people give up wheat or carbs specifically, they will be foggy and sluggish for about a week, until their body adjusts.  I am pretty sure that I'm adjusted, though. Maybe just tired.  I have been working more than I have been in quite a while and not exercising consistently, so maybe that's it. 

Anyway, today I ate really well again.  Had the eggs and sausage breakfast with some blueberries, lunch 7 hours later was a bowl of leftover creamy chicken stew with about a half cup of mashed cauliflower, then had a snack at my aunt and uncle's house a few hours later- "Walnut and Roasted Red Pepper Dip"- recipe from "Everyday Paleo" cookbook.  It is very good!!  I'm going to make some this weekend, and I'll post a pic and the recipe.  I dipped bell pepper and cucumber slices in it.  Mmmmmmm.   For dinner I tried a recipe I got from marksdailyapple.com.  It is a meatball recipe posted by the creator of the website and The Primal Blueprint- Mark Sisson.  (Mark also has a  Primal Blueprint Cookbook, but I don't have it).  I didn't follow the directions accurately- instead I baked the meatballs instead of sautee-ing them in bacon fat...but they still turned out pretty good.  Then I made a spaghetti squash in the microwave, and topped the scooped out spaghetti squash "noodles", and topped it with my meatballs and a lower-sugar marinara sauce that I found at Kroger.  Mom and I both had this...we both loved it!  I really love spaghetti squash.  If you haven't had it before, you need to try it!  I recommend microwaving for about 3-4 minutes before you try to cut it in half, though!!  It is extremely difficult to cut into fresh. The only thing that would've made this more delicious is cheese!!  ;)  In 3 weeks I'll sprinkle some fresh parmesan onto this "spaghetti and meatball" dish. 

Tomorrow I am working all day, at two different physical therapy clinics, so I'll only have an hour window between them...which means lunch will be eaten in the car.  I'm thinking lunch will be some beef jerky, blanched asparagus and some cashews and almonds.  I could stop and get a fast food chicken breast, but that would be messy to have to take off the bun, etc.

I should mention that Friday night I have a surprise birthday party to go to...it's at a horse racing track and there will be dollar beers and hot dogs, plus other food and drinks.  Now this will be tough!!  Somehow I'm going to sip on water and avoid all the "junk" there!!  I have to admit, I do miss drinking. haha While in Whole Foods the other day I found Redbridge- which is a gluten-free beer.  So I will try it after this challenge is over.  I'm sure i won't like it, though, anyway.  Guess I'll stick to red wine and sugar-free mixed drinks.  Boooooo

That's it for today- I need to get to bed!!

LiveStrong,

Tina

Day 9

So this morning I thought I would get out the scale and weigh myself, just so I can see what my weight loss for one week on the Whole30 did for me and maybe give me some encouragement...the result- 8lbs lost!  (Or possibly 6...the first number showed me to be down 6, then the second two tries showed me down for 8)   I realize that a lot of this may be water weight, but that's ok, it's a start!  I'm hoping my body will soon learn how to burn my body fat and keep it burning fat for it's primary fuel source. This made me pretty happy to see.  Now I'm feeling more motivated!!  I'm really hoping that I can continue dropping weight...and even when this 30 day challenge ends, and I start adding some dairy, alcohol, and the occasional sugars into my diet, that my body still will prefer fat as fuel, and burn it. 

I felt pretty good today.  Had my eggs and sausage for breakfast, chicken sausage and kale soup for lunch, along with some blanched asparagus spears and some blueberries... then for dinner I had about 4 oz of rotisserie chicken breast, and a salad (added tomatoes this week).  Then I had half of a huge dill pickle, and half of a grapefruit.  I'm feeling satisfied!!  :)

Didn't get to making my meatballs this morning, so I'm going to make them tomorrow evening to have for dinner tomorrow night.  Picked up two organic spaghetti squash today at Whole Foods- $9.50 total- yikes!!  I know organic is better, but my pocketbook doesn't allow for the "best" quality, unfortunately.  :(   I only got them here because our Kroger is out of them.  :(  I also picked up a can of coconut water at Whole Foods.  It was refreshing...has a mild taste to it,  not really coconut-y.  LOL

It's been a busy week, and I'm already looking forward to the weekend.  I plan on doing some more cooking, some light jogging, and getting back to doing Crossfit workouts!!

See ya tomorrow!!!

T

Day 8

Monday's are busy days, which is kind of a good thing when it comes to eating because I eat more structured meals when I have to "plan" them.  Breakfast at 6:30am was the usual 3 eggs with some sausage crumbles sauteed in coconut oil.  Wasn't that hungry until lunch came around at 1pm.  Had a salad with 3 oz of steak, with my usual salad toppings.  Also had about 1/4 c of blueberries.  Didn't eat again until dinner at 8pm- leftover chicken stew with some broccoli.  Right now I'm not even hungry, and I'll probably go to bed early.  Last night I noticed that one of my glands was tender and swollen, and it even felt tender along my jawline.  Hmmm...not good?  I am hoping that I am not getting sick!!  :(

 Tomorrow I will be getting up "early" so that I can make my meatballs and get more beef jerky in the dehydrator (my uncle wants me to make him a batch...in exchange,  he is making me red pepper and walnut dip- which is a recipe from "Everyday Paleo" cookbook)  I also want to test out my ankle and do a little walk/slow jog.  I'm planning to re-join marathon training on Saturday!  Saturday's workout is "5k running and walkign evaluation", so that shouldn't be too bad anyway.

Lata!

Tina

Day 7...One Week complete!

I made it a week!!!  One week free of wheat, grains, sugar, dairy, and alcohol!!  :)  I am feeling fine...nothing out of ordinary to note, except that I don't feel foggy or sluggish anymore!  I don't really have any cravings...just thoughts of how I would like to have some rice, cheese and alcohol.  lol  

Went grocery shopping today and stocked up on meats and vegetables.  For lunch I had some of the sausage and kale soup, and about 2 oz leftover pork tenderloin.  I made a new recipe for dinner- creamy chicken stew, and it was very good!!  Made some mashed cauliflower to pour it over,  which made for a very satisfying dinner.  :)   Here is the recipe, try it out!

Quick and creamy chicken stew

• One 4lbs roasting chicken (I used 2lbs of Tyson chicken breast)
• ½ cup of clarified butter, butter or other paleo fat;
• 2 onions, chopped;
• 4 cloves garlic, minced;
• 1/4 cup cassava, almond or coconut flour, or any other paleo flour (this is optional, as its only purpose is to thicken the stew);
• 2 cups of homemade chicken broth or stock (you may decide to add more if you find the stew too thick);
• 2 carrots, chopped;
• 2 celery stalks, chopped;
• 5-6 white button mushrooms, sliced or whole;
• ½ cup full-fat coconut milk or heavy cream;
• 2 green onions, sliced;
• ¾ cup of fresh or frozen green peas;
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;

Preparation

1. Cut the roasting chicken into pieces. Divide it into two thighs, two drums, two wings and two breasts.
2. In a large saucepan over a medium heat, melt the cooking fat. Once melted, add in the chicken pieces and cook until golden brown on all sides. Remove the chicken and put aside until later.
3. Add the onions to the same saucepan and cook in the remaining juices. Once they have sauteed and begun to brown, add the garlic and cook for a few minutes together.
4. If you wish to add a thickening paleo flour, do so now.
5. Whisk in the chicken broth. At this point you will be able to tell if the stew is too thick. If so, feel free to add more broth or stock, or even just water. Do so slowly while continuing to mix.
6. Add in the vegetables and chicken, along with any juices from where the chicken was resting.
7. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Allow the stew to come to a simmer, and then cook on low, but still maintain the simmer.
9. Cover and cook for approximately 30 minutes.
10. Stir in the cream or coconut milk, green onions and peas.
11. Cook for just about another 2 minutes and serve.

So things are going well.  It's actually pretty easy to eat clean if you have food prepared/ready to eat.  I've been using fruits as my "sweets", which is working out nicely.  This week I'll eat blueberries, banana chips and grapefruit.

I've got my steak strips cut and salad ready to go for lunch at work tomorrow...then on Tuesday, when I have some free time I'm going to make more hardboiled eggs, and make meatballs!  Will have the meatballs with a lower sugar marinara sauce that I found at Kroger, on top of spaghetti squash.  Oh yeah, I found low-sugar ketchup!  It'll work for now.

~Tina