Whole 30 Experience – Days 5, 6, 7, & 8

Day 5 

I managed to stay up this morning and get my walk in.  In fact, I was up before my alarm was due to go off.  Even better.

For breakfast I had my regular coffee, 2 eggs, and the last slice of the prosciutto.  You likely won’t hear my talk about the prosciutto anymore.  I only bought it on a whim because it was on sale.  😝

Once I got to work I sipped on a black iced coffee from McDonald’s. and at 10:30 I had some coconut chips to munch on and a little after 11am I had half a blueberry smoothie.

For lunch I had mixed grilled veggies and chopped up hamburger patty.  There were Timbits floating around my office but I steered clear.

After a Friday afternoon gym sesh I headed out of town for the weekend.  My beau and I picked up a small rotisserie chicken for dinner and I had some watermelon and plantain to go with it.

Day 6

Today was rest day so aside from my coffee I didn’t bother to eat until later – for brunch I had 1 egg, 1 sausage round (compliant), and a small salad with garlic olive oil.

For dinner my beau took me out for anniversary dinner and I had pan-fried haddock, mixed veggies, and some home fries.  Thank goodness white potatoes are compliant (now).

In the evening we had a movie date and while popcorn was going around, I snacked on some plantain chips and salsa.

Day 7

This morning I had breakfast of two eggs and some prosciutto (look at that, more prosciutto) and, of course, coffee.

I hit the gym early afternoon and then spent the next few hours at my BFF’s working on new videos for my online boot camp (starting September 4!).  I was super exhausted and struggled to get through the video exercises and then realized I hadn’t had any carbs.  Whoops.  So bestie grabbed us each a pear to chow on.  Thank goodness because by that point my sugars had also dropped and I was dizzy.

For dinner I made a pork burger (aka I chopped a pork chop in half) on a sweet potato bun (complete with avocado, dill pickle, and tomato {I forgot the lettuce}) with a side of cauliflower mash.  It was so delicious.

Day 8

Whoot!  Made it thru week one with no cravings.  Although, I did have some really bad belly bloat that lasted most of the week that I’ve never really experienced before.  I’ve heard about people having issues with bloating and other things while getting thru the first week or so of Whole 30.  But this was my first time.

After a 40 minute walk this morning, for breakfast I had two eggs and some prosciutto (I swear I only got it again because it was still on sale!) and coffee.

A little after 11am I had 6 cherries to snack on.  I still feel hungry but I’m trying to hold out for lunch.

Lunch today is leftover cauliflower mash and a 1/4 chopped up pork chop (leftover).  I snacked a bit throughout the afternoon on a combo of plantains and cherries.  And about an hour before teaching my boot camp class I shoved a banana in my face. #fuel

For dinner I made – FROM SCRATCH – coconut chicken tenders (slice a b/s chicken breast into strips and dip them into melted ghee and then into coconut (I also added in a bit of salt, pepper, and garlic & herbs) and zucchini noodles.  I also made a dessert/snack of sweet potato brownie:  sweet potato (cooked and scooped from the skin shell), melted coconut butter and nut butter (I used almond-hazelnut), and cocoa powder.  Mix it all together and pop it in the oven.  I made enough for a single serving.  It was actually really good and tasted like a warm, gooey brownie.  I know I’m not technically supposed to be having dessert, but, I’m recovering and refueling.

~Cheers

 

 

Whole 30 Experience – Days 2, 3, and 4

I want to note, as I did in day 1, that I drink a lot of water throughout the day. Usually a few liters while at work and at least a liter at the gym (more if it’s hella hot and humid like it has been).

Day 2

I was up bright and early this morning for an early morning walk (it was still dark out when I got out of bed – urg) and when I got back home I made my regular coffee (same as yesterday) and made two eggs.  I had physio this morning and then headed to work. By the time 9 o’clock rolled around I was starving again.  I’m thinking my metabolism must be hella revved these days from constant exercising and lifting.  So, to satisfy my hunger until lunch time I had some hash brown potatoes (shredded potato, ghee aka clarified butter).  Around 9:30 I started my second coffee which I sipped until almost 11.

For lunch today I had some of the cabbage rolls I made last night.  They were so good.  I also had a tangelo to go with it.

For dinner I had chicken breast (b/s) and grilled mixed vegetables.  In the evening I was feeling snacky (actually, again, I was hungry) so I munched on some plantain chips.

Day 3

This morning I was up at 5 to go to the gym.  I usually go Tuesdays (I don’t teach Tuesdays), but yesterday was so hot and humid (I think the humidex was close to 40) and our gym doesn’t have A/C, just big fans that do not do the work.  So,  went to the gym this morning.  It was 27 degrees inside the gym (23 outside, but still very humid)!  I think I made a good call yesterday in not going…I can’t imagine how hot and gross and suffocating it would have been last night.

So, of course, working out this morning, once I got to work I was extremely hungry.  I had prepped so I had scrambled eggs (2), 2 slices of roast turkey (compliant), and one hash brown.  I normally don’t eat this much at breakfast but this morning was an exception since I put in a good hour and a half at the gym in the morning AND have to teach boot camp in the evening.  I didn’t want to leave myself feeling famished all day.  I also had a coffee,  although this one was a black iced coffee from McDonald’s (hello Dollar Days) with my almond milk.

For lunch today I had some leftover cabbage rolls and a handful of cherries.  I also had a few pieces of organic, raw coconut chewy things.  Don’t worry, they were compliant.

We barely made it through boot camp class in the evening because of the high humidity, but, my group peeps are troopers and we all rocked the workout!  After working out so much today, I could not wait to get home and eat.  But, I was exhausted and didn’t feel like doing too much so, I made another cauliflower pancake, some grilled mushrooms, and a little grilled prosciutto.  For a little dessert while I lounged on my couch watching Big Brother, I had some sliced frozen banana dipped in almond-hazelnut butter.  Um, Yum!!

Day 4

I got up early this morning for my walk and decided to go back to bed for another 40 minutes.  I don’t normally do that – once I’m up, I’m up.  But I was really tired and kinda groggy, and I literally fell right back to sleep.  Obviously, my body needed the extra rest.  I feel a little bad for missing my morning solitude and exercise, but i’m going to walk on my lunch break and also hit the gym after work.

For breakfast I had my regular coffee, two eggs, and a slice of prosciutto. I don’t normally buy prosciutto (or other processed meats – although this is compliant) – but I got a good deal on it and I don’t want to waste it.

For lunch I had the last of the leftover cabbage rolls.  They really were yummy.  I also had a 1/4 cup of blueberries.  Around 4 pm I was starving (I totally did not eat enough for lunch) and since I was heading to the gym a good hour and a half I grabbed a hash brown and rammed it in my face.

For dinner I had some grilled veggies and a piece of chicken breast.  I usually sprinkle my food with some herbs from Epicure, BTW.

If you’re interested, the recipe for the cabbage rolls is as follows:

• 1/2 to 1 lb ground meat (beef, pork, chicken, turkey – whatever you like)
• 1 head cabbage* (I literally just pulled off enough leaves to use until the meat mixture was gone)
• 1½ – 2 cups cauliflower rice
• 1 can diced tomatoes (check labels to ensure it’s compliant) – or use fresh tomatoes
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 1 cup of mushrooms, minced (optional)
• salt, pepper, and any other spices or herbs you want to throw in.  I used a bunch of different ones.
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

Mixed all ingredients (except cabbage and tomatoes) together

Prepare cabbage by washing, drying, and spreading the leaves out individually.

Fill each leaf with about a spoonful of the meat mixture and roll it up like a burrito and place in cooking pan.

Spread the tomatoes (and any extra mushrooms) over the rolls and cook on 350 for about 30 – 45 minutes.  Ensure your meat is cooked thoroughly.

Last night I was feeling munchie aka still hungry so I had a handful of plantains and half a blueberry protein smoothie.  The Whole 30 is iffy on the smoothies.  If you’re looking at a smoothie as a way to have a dessert, then they don’t want you to indulge.  But if it’s a way to get extra foliage inter your diet, then it’s okay.  The protein I used is one I got from my sister-in-law and is completely compliant.

If It’s Too Good to be True…

My social media feeds are sometimes flowing with sales pitches for things like skinny wraps and magic teas and this and that – all for the benefit of losing weight.  Let’s be real people – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Most of these products want you to either eat or drink nothing for days, all while boasting “you’ll lose 10 pounds in one week!” or “Drop a dress size over night!” <– WTF??  Seriously?  This one’s not gonna happen.

This post was in my Facebook feed a while back and the so-called story behind it is that she spend hundreds of dollars on skinny wraps and greens and all that jazz and ended up like this.  I.Call.Bull.Shit!

Whatever happened to not putting all kinds of shit in your mouth and actually working for your weight loss.

Put down the cookies.  Put down the beer.  Get up and go for a walk or to the gym or to a class.

Those “magic” products aren’t really going to guarantee you lose weight AND CERTAINLY aren’t good for your health.  (And let’s be freaking honest – any weight that you may lose is going to be water weight – especially if you’re drinking teas or sweating if off in wraps! You’ll gain it right back.).  And those products that boast “cleansing” or “detoxing” – um, you have a liver for that!  Seriously.  Don’t waste your money.

No, airhead, you should have not eaten that whole bag of chips and laid on the couch all day – you SHOULD HAVE gotten some exercise and had a healthy snack.

Instead, look at YOURSELF as an investment and if you really want to slim down or get healthier, invest in yourself – whether it’s money or time or effort.

Remember when Oprah said there is no such thing as a magic pill to make you lose weight because if there was she’d be on it.  Well – she’s right.  There is not.  You have to work for it. And working for it means watching what you eat and making better decisions about your food choices and finding the time to exercise.  Even if it’s for only 20 minutes a day.  How many times do I have to say it: twenty minutes a day can change your life!

The next time you’re inclined to spend some hard earned cash on a quick fix wrap or tea, reconsider.  Use your money wisely.  Invest in yourself and make some real changes that will benefit you long term – not just for the quick fix.

You’re worth it.

~FB

 

Whole 30 Experience – Day 1

Since I am a huge fanatic of the Whole 30 program, and have blogged and bragged about starting the program this week, I have decided to journal my experience with it. As you may know, this is not my first rodeo with the Whole 30. And, of course, results will vary each time and for each person. But I am stoked about this time around and could not wait to get started. (Don’t think, however, that I didn’t ram my face with some chocolate last night.)

Day 1 – My alarm went off this morning at 6am and I jumped out of bed to get rolling for my morning walk. Already was filled with excitement about my food path for the next 30 days. Once I returned home, I started my morning brew and once I was showered, I drank my coffee with a little unsweetened almond milk, and cooked up 2 eggs. Just plain. Fried in a pan. Simple and delicious.

By 11am I was starting to feel a little hungry. This really is nothing new for me. Since I’m up so early and work out so often (I hit the gym yesterday morning for an hour and a half, then went on an 8.5 k walk like night, and up early this morning for a 3 k pre-work walk), I’m usually hungry all the time. Instead of stuffing my face with something, I settled my stomach growls with another cuppa joe (with almond milk). I also drink water consistently throughout the day.

My lunch consisted of a small portion of chicken breast and some mixed veggies which I made in advance. One sort-of challenge about Whole 30-ing is that I do find I have to actually meal prep. Especially if I am going out of town for a night or two. I can’t just skip down to the deli to grab a quick meal as almost everything is processed (breaded or sauced or mixed). So, last night I made a nice, healthy meal for lunch. My coworker and I also went on a good walk during out break (which I thought I might collapse from heat stroke, but alas, I made it) and I did stop at the grocery store to grab a few things…including a peach for a walk-back snack.

Yesterday was about 34 degrees with the humidex and our AC was spazzed out at work. I had to teach boot camp after work so around 4pm I ate an apple. I needed something cool and fresh and carby. After my class (where I guzzled about 7 gallons of water), I ate dinner of small pork chop and a cauliflower pancake (riced cauliflower, one egg, garlic).

I had also meal prepped for the next few days since I’ll be out of town and made my first batch of cabbage rolls (recipe to follow). And, once they were finished cooking and since I was still quite hungry, I had one.

And that completes day 1 of my Whole 30.

~FB

Slaying the Sugar Dragon

I finished my last Whole30 in May and it was a really great 30 days of strictly clean eating – with the exception of having a small sliver of cake at my grandfather’s 99th birthday party.  I fully acknowledged I would possibly being doing that prior to starting my 30 days in May and I fully made amends with it.  I have done the Whole 30 program so many times over the last two years and I decided that if I wanted to have a piece of cake with my grandfather to celebrate his 99th birthday, I darn well would!  And without the guilt (although I did feel some) and without restarting the program.  Like I said, I’ve committed to 30 days many times in the past and this one indulgence was an exception to the rule.

This book changes everything!

But, since I finished those 30 days and since the start of summer, I feel like I have been overindulging way too much.  I feel sluggish and fat and bloated and kinda disgusting.  So, I decided last week that I would start a new Whole 30 this coming week.

At first I was okay with it.  Then I was feeling a little panicky because I’ve been enjoying my treats this summer.  And that right there is the problem!  Too many treats!  the sugar dragons are slaying me and I need to change that around.  So, now I’m back on board and fully excited about starting fresh on Monday.  I literally cannot wait.

So why wait?  I’m sure you’re asking.  Because I need to get ready.  To be honest, I (personally) don’t find the Whole 30 program that hard.  There have been a few times in the past that I struggled a bit with cravings, but most of the times I’ve done the program, I have been A-OK.  And I’m pretty stubborn, so when I commit myself to doing something like this, I fully commit to it.  That being said, it’s not something I want to jump into.  I need a couple of days to plan it out.  I need to think about food choices and meals and preparation and “it’s still summer and where am I gonna be next week?” types of things.

But I’m ready.  And I am motivated and committed and I can’t wait.  And each time I look in the mirror and I see that weird little belly bloat, it gives me the kick-in-the-butt-motivation I need to ensure I go through with it.

That’s me slaying the beast…I’m the one in pink.

If you haven’t tried this program, I encourage you to do so.  It’s only for 30 days and it can help you rid your body of bloat and inflammation and possibly even excess weight.  The benefit of ridding yourself of sugar cravings and having food freedom – even for only 30 days – can make it all worthwhile.  And you don’t have to skimp on meals or count calories. You get to eat delicious, fresh and whole foods.  And you can experiment with different foods or food combination.  I have never felt less than satisfied when doing a Whole 30.  And Pinterest is a great place to find recipes, guidance (although I fully recommend that you read the book The Whole 30, it might change your life), meal ideas, etc.  Here’s a link for some great lunch ideas.

If you’re not ready to try 30 days of clean eating, maybe ask yourself why.  What would you be afraid of?  That chocolate cake or ice cream sundae will still be there in a month’s time. Going without processed mayo (Whole 30 has several recipes for mayo) is not going to end you.  Check out the book and the website and consider giving it a try.  And if you have any questions, comment below or shoot me an email

~Cheers.

 

My Top 5 Wellness Favorites

I was asked recently about favorite personal wellness tips and as I’ve been reflecting on my regular routine, I’ve been able to narrow them down.  Here are my top five favorites:

1.

Exercise and nutrition/clean eating.  Obviously I have a passion for fitness and good basic nutrition.  They have become such a huge part of my life that it is more than apparent that they would be number one on my list.  And, since I believe fitness and nutrition go hand-in-hand, I have joined them as top rank.  I am a huge lover of cardio, but for the past 8 months, I have been completely obsessed with my strength training and have been focusing most of my gym time on that.  I would encourage everyone to add a strength training routine to their regular fitness regime.  I’m also a cheerleader for clean eating and following the Whole 30 program.  I am not a clean eater 100% (I literally just ate a handful of salted caramel chocolate chips), but I often try to stay away from processed and junk and fast foods as much as possible.  In fact, I am gearing up for a Whole 30 in a few weeks.  I also love starting my day off with some form of exercise.  It used to be a crazy Insanity workout or other form of cardio, then it was yogo, and this summer it has been early morning walks.  I am so in love with my early morning walks for a few reasons but the biggest one is the solitude in the mornings.  It’s usually just me out there and I love the stillness and the quiet and the fresh air in my face.  I also love the little feeling of accomplishment in the mornings and the walks have been giving me that.

2.

Water.  Lotsa water.  I love water.  It’s my favorite drink.  In fact, aside from a morning coffee or the occasional glass of wine, it’s the only thing I drink.  And I drink a lot of it. Water is essential in every day life – you can read here a past post on why water is important.  I love water and I constantly have a glass of it on the go, whether I’m at work or working out, I try to continuously guzzle.

3.

Sleep.  Sleep is right up there with water – it’s essential.  And it’s a big part of how I’m going to function.  I hate not getting enough sleep.  About 5 years ago I had a bad bought of insomnia for months on end and it was terrible.  I was barely functioning.  I was a walking zombie.  I’ve written two posts previously on sleep and I stand by my word (you can read them here and here) and there’s also plenty of research being done by companies, like Elysium Health , on the science behind sleep—you can learn more about their findings on cellular health and NAD+ and their connection to sleep here .  I love sleep.  I try to get as much as I can but it doesn’t always work for me.  A good night would have been sleeping 7 hours but most nights, according to my FitBit, see me sleeping anywhere from 5 to 6 hours.  Eventually, when I’m exhausted enough, I’ll manage a good 7 or 8 hours, but I will always strive.

4.

Me Time.  It’s really important – no, make that crucial – that every person take some “me time”.  Although my morning walks and other workouts can often be accounted for as me time, I like to find time during the day just for me.  Time far away from chaos and hustle and bustle and social media.  This me time is usually my reading (or writing) time.  I am an avid reader and become completely enthralled in my books.  And I look forward to curling up under the summer sun or before bed to leave where I am and, instead, get lost in the words of my book.  I urge everyone to take 20 minutes (at least) each day to themselves.

5.

Quality Social Time.  I am a social being.  In fact, my nickname has always been social butterfly.  Just as it’s important to take me time, it’s also important to have social time with other people.  I love spending time with my family and my friends and my co-workers and my workout buddies.  Getting out and enjoying the company of others (and allowing them to enjoy your company) is very important to maintaining good mental health.  And mental and emotional health are just as important as physical health.  Having fun or having a good cry (if required) are important to keeping us healthy and balanced.  And this means getting social in person – not hopping onto Facebook to chat.  Your mind, body, and soul need you to interact with other human beings.  So, whether you go to a fitness class or a Bible study or book club or just get together with your friends or family, ensure that you do it.  Often.

So, that’s it.  Those are my personal top 5 (I’m sure there are more) favorite wellness tips to living a healthy life.  What are yours?

~FB

 

Push-up Challenge

Happy 1st day of August! To celebrate the start of a brand new month, I’m challenging you all to the 20 Push-ups a Day Challenge. It’s pretty simple – you commit to doing 20 push-ups a day for the next month. Easy peasy. You can do any variation, so modified push-ups are fine. Comment below “I’m in” or inbox me to let me know the challenge has been accepted – and away we go!!

Why Push-Ups? 

Push-ups are one of the basic and most common exercises for the human body.  They are great for your chest, and help defining your abs, triceps, shoulders, and torso.  They are an incredible exercise for overall strength improvement.

Push-ups can be performed no matter where you are and don’t require any equipment or gym. The benefits of push-ups are plentiful.  They will improve muscular endurance within the upper body, strengthen both muscles and bones, create lean muscle mass that raises your metabolism and, of course, help keep you fit and healthy. 

~FB