kirbz

ROUND 4, Day 16: Tuesday, November 12 Meal 1: Blueberry RxBar Meal 2: three halves spinach and artichoke twice baked potatoes Meal 3: golden beet and pistachio salad with balsamic drizzle; grilled trout marinated in garlic oil; fingerling tomatoes marinated in garlic oil; broccolini Water Intake: ~60 oz Steps: 6,580 Symptoms/NSVs: felt mildly depressed / very low mood extreme tiredness left knee pain Thoughts/Reflections: I still felt tired and down today. I also don’t have a plan for food this week so my eating habits are not gonna be pretty. I likely won’t be eating enough either, which does nothing for my mood. But, alas, here I am.

ROUND 4, Day 15: Monday, November 11 Meal 1: none Snack: half a can of coconut water Exercise (1 hours, 10 minutes): 2.64-mile hike with 518 feet of elevation gain (121 average HR; 171 max HR) Snack: slice of deli turkey; half a can of coconut water Meal 2: two grilled chicken thighs with BBQ sauce; small bowl of zucchini bone broth soup Meal 3: grilled sirloin steak with spicy seasoning; two halves spinach and artichoke twice baked potatoes; watermelon kombucha Water Intake: ~60 oz Steps: 11,429 Symptoms/NSVs: terrible headache through most of the night felt mildly depressed / very low mood extreme tiredness in the evening (like, droopy eyelids at 6:30 p.m.) Thoughts/Reflections: I felt really down today. All the things in life that haven’t been going well hit me hard today. It’s the day before my period should be starting so perhaps it’s that. Or maybe it’s just life. I tried to make the most of it though. I did a hike this morning and I went to the beach to watch the sunset with my little man. The sunset in particular really helped soothe my soul. I’m so grateful for the outdoors. I don’t know what I would do without these places.

ROUND 4, Day 14: Sunday, November 10 Meal 1: pouch of blueberry, pear, and purple carrot baby food; small handful of homemade plantain chips Exercise (3 hours, 11 minutes): 6.78-mile backpacking hike with 620 feet of elevation gain (112 average HR; 162 max HR) Post-Workout Snack: can of coconut water Meal 2: three over-easy eggs cooked in leftover bacon fat; served over spiralized sweet potato and russet potato cooked in ghee with salt, pepper, and seasoning; three slices compliant bacon; glass of orange juice Exercise (1 hour, 3 minutes): mild vinyasa yoga (75 average HR; 95 max HR) Meal 3: grilled chicken thighs with BBQ sauce; can of sliced potatoes cooked in duck fat; head of steamed broccolini; mango kombucha Water Intake: ~100 oz Steps: 22,196 Symptoms/NSVs: fatigued legs headache in the evening Thoughts/Reflections: The hike out was tough, as it always is. My legs were feeling quite tired. But it was so lovely. I loved going with so many other like-minded women. They were so nice to get to know and I’m so grateful I had another distraction to take up my weekend. I did take a nap today and it felt wonderful, though not particularly satisfying. I still felt tired and groggy. But I went to yoga and it felt so good for my body. I needed the deep stretching. And that’s about it. I continue to fill my evening with watching tv and I continue to want to stop that practice and transition to more reading. But, I’m still trying to be gentle with myself and honoring my feelings and needs right now. It's still been less than a month and I desperately wish my little Inka. We both do. But I’m trying.

ROUND 4, Day 13: Saturday, November 9 Meal 1: three over-easy eggs cooked in leftover bacon fat; served over spiralized sweet potato and russet potato cooked in ghee with salt, pepper, and seasoning; one and a half slices compliant bacon; glass of orange juice Exercise (5 hours, 26 minutes): 8.74-mile backpacking hike with 1,654 feet of elevation gain (126 average HR; 191 max HR) Intra-Workout Meal 2: turkey “sandwich” with three slices turkey, one slice of bacon, ½ avocado, sprouts, and mayo served in butter lettuce leaves; 8 oz of water with compliant electrolyte supplement Meal 3: turkey “sandwich” with three slices turkey, one slice of bacon, ½ avocado, sprouts, and mayo served in butter lettuce leaves; 8 oz of water with compliant electrolyte supplement Movement (1 hour, 15 minutes): hike to the other end of Lake Aloha (relatively flat but rough-ish trail terrain) Meal 4: Elements Broccoli Cinnamon Pork freeze-dried meal with butternut squash and egg whites; pouch of sweet potato and beet baby food Snack: Gaia Herbs Liver Cleanse tea before bed (mostly because it was really cold) Water Intake: ~120 oz Steps: 30,198 Symptoms/NSVs: higher-than-expected heart rate (the hike wasn’t that hard; it shouldn’t have been that high) fatigued legs Thoughts/Reflections: I had four ladies join me on a backpacking trip this weekend and it was so lovely! I thoroughly enjoy the company of women and am so grateful I’ve been able to do this type of adventuring the last two weekends. I dragged a bit more than last weekend. I definitely had a heavier pack so it could have been that. But it was also an easier hike. It wasn’t awful. But my legs were definitely more easily fatigued. As a final note, I need to figure out something else to eat in the backcountry. These freeze-dried meals are awful and are really starting to all taste the same. I cannot eat the full meal because my gag reflex really starts going after about two thirds of the way through the bag. I’m going to have to start experimenting with some light backcountry cooking.

ROUND 4, Day 12: Friday, November 8 Meal 1: four eggs scrambled in leftover bacon fat with a splash of coconut milk, salt, and pepper; two slices of bacon; whole sliced cucumber Movement (40 minutes): neighborhood walk with the pup (flat trail terrain) Meal 2: five grilled chicken drumsticks with BBQ sauce and seasoning; one small zucchini and summer squash sautéed in avocado oil with seasoning; ¾ avocado Movement (25 minutes): neighborhood walk with the pup (flat trail terrain) Meal 3: grilled ribeye steak with seasoning; large baked potato with ghee and salt; handful of grape tomatoes; watermelon kombucha Water Intake: ~80 oz Steps: 15,010 Symptoms/NSVs: none Thoughts/Reflections: Just another day… I’m excited for another ladies backpacking trip tomorrow!

ROUND 4, Day 11: Thursday, November 7 Meal 1: none Snack: chamomile tea with Primal Kitchen collagen peptides Meal 2: two round steaks cooked in whole tomatoes; large baked potato with ghee and salt Meal 3: four eggs scrambled in leftover bacon fat with a splash of coconut milk, salt, and pepper; two and a half slices of bacon; bowl of cauliflower bone broth soup. Water Intake: ~60 oz Steps: 8,284 Symptoms/NSVs: evening tiredness again (not sure if it’s the time change or not eating enough) Thoughts/Reflections: Not much to say today.

ROUND 4, Day 10: Wednesday, November 6 Meal 1: none (I stayed in bed and snuggled with Yeti Spaghetti instead of eating; I feel good about my decision) Snack: blueberry RxBar and chamomile tea Meal 2: piece of baked salmon; large bowl of cauliflower soup Meal 3: two round steaks cooked in whole tomatoes; large baked potato with ghee and salt Water Intake: ~80 oz Steps: 7,809 Symptoms/NSVs: evening tiredness (I went to bed before 8:00 p.m.) Thoughts/Reflections: I just realized that some colleagues gave me little Halloween goodie bags last week and I haven’t even bothered to remove them from my desk. Normally, having chocolate right in front of me would be a temptation. But, it’s not… That’s kind of nice.

ROUND 4, Day 9: Tuesday, November 5 Meal 1: two hard-boiled eggs Meal 2: large bowl of pork vegetable stir fry with carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, bell pepper, snap peas, and onion cooked with Primal Kitchen Classic Marinade Meal 3: grilled sirloin steak; can of sliced potatoes cooked in duck fat; bowl of zucchini bone broth soup Water Intake: ~80 oz Steps: 8,658 Symptoms/NSVs: woke up with a cold sore (I haven’t had one of those in a long time, though I do get them frequently overall) Thoughts/Reflections: Not much to report today. I’m super disappointed to have a cold sore. I wonder what caused that?

ROUND 4, Day 8: Monday, November 4 Meal 1: four eggs scrambled in leftover bacon fat with a splash of coconut milk, salt, and pepper; bowl of zucchini bone broth soup Meal 2: large bowl of pork vegetable stir fry with carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, bell pepper, snap peas, and onion cooked with Primal Kitchen Classic Marinade Meal 3: enormous chicken breast grilled with salt, pepper, and BBQ sauce; large bowl of cauliflower bone broth soup; lavender kombucha Water Intake: ~80 oz Steps: 6,327 Symptoms/NSVs: none Thoughts/Reflections: I tried to go to yoga today but there was no parking so I went home. And did nothing. But, honestly, I felt pretty good about that after a big weekend. I'm trying to honor my feelings and intentions, even if they're occasionally lazy.

How is everyone doing? We're officially done with our first week! Congratulations! I did a backpacking trip this weekend (15 miles over two days) and it was beautiful. I can't believe it's November and the weather is still holding in the backcountry, but I'm super grateful! I'll be doing another backpacking trip next weekend! I was able to stay compliant and was actually fairly happy with what I ate. Yay for me!

ROUND 4, Day 7: Sunday, November 3 Meal 1: instant eggs (~2-3 eggs worth); Gaia Herbs Liver Cleanse tea Exercise (~3 hours, 30 minutes): ~7-mile backpacking hike with ~300 feet of elevation gain (121 average HR; 179 max HR) Post-Workout Snack: can of coconut water Meal 2: three over-easy eggs cooked in leftover bacon fat; served over spiralized sweet potato and russet potato cooked in ghee with salt, pepper, and seasoning; 2 slices compliant bacon; glass of orange juice Meal 3: grilled flat iron steak with seasoning; large baked potato with ghee and salt; ~10 asparagus spears cooked in avocado oil with spices; watermelon kombucha Water Intake: ~100 oz Steps: 24,080 Supplements: Natural Calm in a glass of water before bed Symptoms/NSVs: none Thoughts/Reflections: Well, today we finished off our backpacking trip. The last two miles were torture. My feet hurt. My back hurt. The views weren’t great. I was over it. But, we made it! I came home and ate a huge meal and had every intention of taking a nap. But… I didn’t. I don’t know if I was restless or if I’m feeling some form of tiger blood (which has never, ever happened to me before), but I couldn’t sleep. I didn't really want to. I was amazed. So I went through my photos, organized my gear, cleaned the dishes, cooked some food, and watched some television. [Photo 1: at our backcountry campsite]

ROUND 4, Day 6: Saturday, November 2 Meal 1: three over-easy eggs cooked in leftover bacon fat; served over spiralized sweet potato and russet potato cooked in ghee with salt, pepper, and seasoning; 2 slices compliant bacon; glass of orange juice Exercise (~5 hours): ~8-mile backpacking hike with ~2,500 feet of elevation gain (121 average HR; 179 max HR) Intra-Workout Snack: pouch of blueberry, pear, and purple carrot baby food Intra-Workout Meal 2: turkey “sandwich” with three slices turkey, one slice of bacon, ½ avocado, sprouts, and mayo served in butter lettuce leaves; 8 oz of water with compliant electrolyte supplement Intra-Workout Snack: pouch of peach, apricot, and banana baby food Meal 3: turkey “sandwich” with three slices turkey, one slice of bacon, ½ avocado, sprouts, and mayo served in butter lettuce leaves; 8 oz of water with compliant electrolyte supplement Meal 4: Wild Zora Caldera Chicken Curry freeze-dried meal with chicken, sweet potato, pineapple, spinach, bell pepper, and onion Snack: Gaia Herbs Liver Cleanse tea before bed (mostly because it was really cold) Water Intake: ~120 oz Steps: 23,288 Symptoms/NSVs: strong exercise endurance strong mental commitment Thoughts/Reflections: Today was the first day of an overnight backpacking trip. The first 2.5 miles was almost 2,000 feet of climbing on a fairly rough trail. While it was hard, I felt reasonably strong doing it. We then continued on for more than five more miles on gently rolling terrain before setting up camp for the night. My feet and legs were tired, but I felt good. I was happy with the way I ate on this trip. I felt like I ate a lot of food, which is good on a trip like this. And I generally enjoyed it. I liked having a couple of sandwiches as fresh food rather than relying entirely on pre-packaged foods. That was nice. I do get over the freeze-dried backpacking meals pretty quickly. I did miss my Peanut M&Ms at camp that evening, but I managed just fine. We took photos and played some Yahtzee and then read a book when it got too cold to be outside of the tent. So I didn’t dwell on it too much. But it really is a food ritual for me. When I work that hard, I genuinely enjoy having something sweet and delicious to reward myself. I’ll have to figure out if that’s an indulgence I’d like to keep going forward. I would have also really loved some hot chocolate instead of tea in my tent that evening…

ROUND 4, Day 5: Friday, November 1 Meal 1: four scrambled eggs cooked in leftover bacon fat with salt and pepper; two slices of bacon; large bowl of caulfiwloer bone broth soup Movement (40 minutes): morning neighorhood walk with the pup (flat trail terrain) Movement (30 minutes): lunchtime neighorhood walk with the pup (flat trail terrain) Meal 2: piece of grilled salmon with spices and BBQ sauce; grilled aspargus with avocado oil and spices; whole avocado; strawberry kombucha Meal 3: two small top sirloin steaks; baked potato with ghee and salt Water Intake: ~80 oz Steps: 15,847 Symptoms/NSVs: none Thoughts/Reflections: I felt unreasonably full after breakfast, which is kind of odd because that’s a breakfast I had eaten many times before on Whole30. Overall though, this was a good day. And now I’m off to a backpacking adventure for the next two days! I’m really going to miss my cheese, crackers, and salami and my peanut butter M&M summit snacks!

ROUND 4, Day 4: Thursday, October 31 Meal 1: none Meal 2: a few bites of leftovers (I had an unexpected personal situation I had to deal with) Movement (20 minutes): neighorhood walk with the pup (flat trail terrain) Meal 3: two round steaks cooked in whole tomatoes; large baked potato with ghee and salt Water Intake: ~60 oz Steps: 9,437 Supplements: Natural Calm in a glass of water before bed Symptoms/NSVs: slight constipation (i.e., couldn’t poop today, despite feeling the need) Thoughts/Reflections: Today sucked and it’s over now. That’s all I’ll say here.

ROUND 4, Day 3: Wednesday, October 30 Meal 1: bowl of zucchini bone broth soup Meal 2: grilled trout marinated in garlic oil; fingerling tomatoes marinated in garlic oil; broccolini Meal 3: two round steaks cooked in whole tomatoes; large baked potato with ghee and salt Water Intake: ~60 oz Steps: 6,511 Symptoms/NSVs: none Thoughts/Reflections: Well, so much for 100 oz of water and 10,000 steps every day. Oops. Regardless, I still feel good about what I’m doing. I’m doing this for health and for me and it isn’t perfect and it won’t be perfect but I’m trying. And I’m trying amidst massive stressors related to a bad breakup. So this is a win no matter how it goes down and I’m proud of myself