Umpteenth Attempt

[wysiwyg]

I subscribe to the Whole30 Daily email, but have had to 'start over' many times over the past two months. I have been honest and simply pressed restart after any diversions. So now I can now almost recite the daily emails verbatim - well, up to about day 7!

Anyhoo I'm now at day 7 and feeling positive with no real wobbles and thought I'd stay on track if I documented what goes in! I keep falling off the wagon and making bad choices when I feel tired. I cycle to/from work every work day, ride horses, jog approx 5 miles a couple of times a week and just recently did a 110 mile bike ride. I intend to start training soon for a bike ride we're undertaking from Calais to Nice in France after the Summer. We'll be completing 120 miles a day over 6/7 days and I really want to get my nutrition right.

It seems most competitive cyclists live on gels and sports drinks, and whilst there is probably good reason to use these to avoid depleting any glycogen stores, I want to try and train at a fat- rather than glucose- burning level. I got down to 8st 4lbs (I rather not get lower than that) and felt great and it really improved my running times and effort, but without going too crazy I've put 10lbs back on over 2 months. I'm 5'2" and I'm finding any regular deviations from eating right see's the weight creeping up. I got into the habit of rewarding myself after completing a Duathlon and Audax ride...and it's caught up.

Holding myself accountable forthwith!....

[wysiwyg]

Day 7!

Meal 1 - Beef mince, red pepper, heaps of brocolli

Meal 2 - Tuna in spring water, cherry tomatoes, beetroot, half avocado, salad leaves, mayonnaise

Snack - Two fistfuls of almonds; banana

Meal 3 - Turkey breast, courgettes, small red onion, butternut squash (cooked in coconut oil)

I think my trouble is I don't drink enough water. Now I've just typed that, off to fill up a glass...

[AuntB]

I strugge with water too! Good luck.

[PamH]

Do you eat before you exercise? If not, try it. You don't need the gel pacs or sports drinks unless you are doing the ultra long rides or half marathon runs. Keep yourself hydrated with water. Perhaps find a good post-work out smoothie or mash of sweet potato/egg.

As a competitive level athlete, you need a lot of protein. You don't say how much you are eating in your meals. More fat, too. Fat is good for you! Avocado is excellent if you are averse to fats like ghee or coconut oil.

I am your size, and my weight fluctuates widely like yours. I find I use exercise in a negative way at times: to make up for the binges on food. I'm eating all Whole30 appropriate foods, but too much of them (toss back nuts and dried fruit like candy).

Oh, and 2 handfuls of almonds could be 30 almonds or 100 depending on what you mean.

Lastly, you could actually be doing too much cardio. More isn't always better. Have you ever read the story of Mark Sisson from Mark's Daily Apple? He talks about the implications of exercising too much vs just "moving" and doing strength training. Depending on how far you cycle to work (2km? 20km?), your body might not appreciate the added 5 miles runs every week day.

These are just suggestions to look into, not answers. I'm just tossing out what comes to mind. I need to work on my weight gain, too. 5'3" and my pants are getting tighter... I'm 48 now so my body operates much differently than when I was in my 20s and 30s and could get away with 50 miles bike rides and 2 hour cardio marathons several times a week!

good luck figuring it out.

[wysiwyg]

Thanks for taking the time to respond Pam - much appreciated Really nice to know I'm not the only one.

I defo add fat to each meal. Healthy dollop of good mayonnaise every time I have tuna and always use either cocunut oil, ghee or avocado oil when I'm cooking. All other oils have been thrown out. I find plenty of protein and fat most definitely helps keep my appetite at bay. I probably had too many almonds today - probably ate about 50g (40 almonds?). A handful is probably about 25g. Any guidance out there on healthy levels of tuna, say on a per week basis. I really enjoy tuna, really satisfies my appetite, but I'm worried about mercury levels? I've had tuna three times this week already and it's only Wednesday!

On the exercise front, I range from an average 10 to 20 miles cycling per day and have done this for the past 10 years. I only run a couple of times a week and keep this at low revs since I'm trying to slowly transition to barefoot vibrams and I'm really conscious of an achilles problem that flared up a while ago (prior to minimalist running). I'm also trying to use fat during exercise as a source of fuel. This isn't false modesty but it actually takes more effort to run slowly and keep under 75%max HR! I then ride my horse about three times a week. Poor ned does all the work, so can't take any credit there. Otherwise I'm sitting on my backside in the office all day, so like to be as active as poss when I'm not here.

I'm 43 now and actually feel I have more stamina for endurance than I had in my 20's and 30's. Perhaps it's mental strength over physical when it comes to long distance stuff, who knows. I have always suffered a small degree of tiredness I guess (I'm quite the strop bag too at times) and this is one of the main reasons I'm giving this a go.

I'll certainly take a look at Mark's blog. I have already read Paleo for Athletes twice over. Think I need to read it at least 10 times in order for it to all sink in, but it's a really helpful book.

Prior to this I had been following Tim Ferriss' advice. This is very similar in many respects, except the legumes and cheat day. I really enjoyed the cheat day and still lost the weight but I can see that it doesn't fuel a healthy mindset in the longrun. Again, being short I can get away with the odd cheat meal, but not an all-day binge!

[wysiwyg]

Day 8

Woke up without pressing snooze button 3 times! Feeling good!

Exercise - 9 mile bike commute

Meal 1 - 2 poached eggs, ton of mixed veg (came in frozen packet, incl peas)

Exercise - 5.7m slow run (48m07sec) around Hyde Park - felt really easy but couldn't get hr below 80%mhr

Meal 2 - Turkey breast, red pepper, mushrooms, small red onion, mayonnaise (within 30 mins of exercise) (cooked in c'nt oil)

Exercise - 9 mile bike commute + 24 mile (1h54mins) evening bike ride [felt tired part way through (should have had a small meal beforehand since 7 hours since last lunch) but reduced MHR to 60-65% and felt re-energised]

Meal 3 - Turkey, butternut squash, spinach, brussel sprouts + snack of blueberries and greek yoghurt (I know..non-compliant)

Day 7!

Didn't want to get up. Pressed snooze continuously for 30+ mins.

Exercise - 4 mile bike commute

Meal 1 - Beef mince, red pepper, heaps of brocolli

Meal 2 - Tuna in spring water, cherry tomatoes, beetroot, half avocado, salad leaves, mayonnaise

Snack - Two fistfuls of almonds;

Exercise - 4 mile bike commute

Snack - banana

Exercise - rode horse

Meal 3 - Turkey breast, courgettes, small red onion, butternut squash (cooked in coconut oil)

[LadyM]

Congrats on making it past 7 days! Looks like you're doing quite well. However, peas aren't Whole30 compliant, fyi. . . .

[PamH]

Is mayonnaise Whole30 compliant (unless you make it yourself)? Great to hear you feel good! That is such a motivator to keep going...

[wysiwyg]

Thank you peeps. Actually that's a timely post Pam since I want to start making my own Mayonnaise. I choose what I believe is a compliant jar mayonnaise, but Marks and Spencer's add cr*p to everything, so who knows! My question is how long can you keep homemade mayonnaise in the fridge considering they're made from raw eggs? It sounds so easy to make, even for me! Thanks for your encouragement LadyM. I knew peas weren't compliant but that's the problem with buying frozen bags of mixed veg (for my convenience) - they always shove peas in there. I'm guessing its one of the cheaper ingredients they can get away with. I'm not going to beat myself up about this little deviation I tend to use the frozen veg as an emergency back-up if I run out of fresh veg. Although I've fallen off the wagon a few times (apart from the last 8 days) I have found myself gradually dropping non-compliant foods along the way.

[PamH]

Homemade mayo should be used within 4-5 days.

[Susan W]

Homemade mayo should be used within 4-5 days.

Actually, the mayo is good at least until the expiration date of the eggs.

[PamH]

Learn something new every day!

[Susan W]

Learn something new every day!

Every single day. :0)

[wysiwyg]

Day 9

Didn't wake up as fresh as yesterday, but no wonder,having gone to bed at 11.45pm - that's the problem with reading cycling forums...and Whole30 of course! I was hoping for a lie-in until 7.30am this morning but woke up naturally at 6.20am. Grrr, but still positive since I hardly ever wake up before my alarm! Was meant to be doing a 100mile sportive ride on Sunday, but weather forecast is rubbish. I absolutely detest cycling into headwinds Good news though, I'm definitely dropping those few pounds I wanted to lose - arms and torso looking toned again. Just thighs to sort out. Defo a problem being a shorty - any weight goes straight to my thighs. Even when I used to weigh myself, the difference in 4lbs is so noticeable in that area!

Meal 1 - Turkey, butternut squash (left over from last night), half red pepper, courgette

Exercise - 4 mile bike commute (main leg muscle group still felt heavy, probo due to the run yesterday)

Meal 2 - Tuna in spring water mixed with mayo and sprinkle of almonds, brocolli, carrots, asparagus and two small beets.

Exercise - 4 bike bike commute

Meal 3 - Two boiled eggs, courgettes, carrots, red pepper, mushrooms

Day 8

Exercise - 9 mile bike commute

Meal 1 - 2 poached eggs, ton of mixed veg (came in frozen packet, incl peas)

Exercise - 5.7m slow run (48m07sec) around Hyde Park - felt really easy but couldn't get hr below 80%mhr

Meal 2 - Turkey breast, red pepper, mushrooms, small red onion, mayonnaise (within 30 mins of exercise) (cooked in c'nt oil)

Exercise - 9 mile bike commute + 24 mile (1h54mins) evening bike ride [felt tired part way through (should have had a small meal beforehand as 7 hours since last lunch) but reduced MHR to 60-65% and felt re-energised]

Meal 3 - Turkey, butternut squash, spinach, brussel sprouts + snack of blueberries and greek yoghurt (I know..non-compliant)

Day 7!

Exercise - 4 mile bike commute

Meal 1 - Beef mince, red pepper, heaps of brocolli

Meal 2 - Tuna in spring water, cherry tomatoes, beetroot, half avocado, salad leaves, mayonnaise

Snack - Two fistfuls of almonds;

Exercise - 4 mile bike commute

Snack - banana

Exercise - rode horse

Meal 3 - Turkey breast, courgettes, small red onion, butternut squash (cooked in coconut oil)

[PamH]

Shortie here, too. I also carry my weight in my thighs. I've given up the scale for the reason you describe: 4lbs really makes a difference in how clothing fits, so I've decided to pay attention to the fit of the clothes and not the number on the scale. The number really only aggravates me instead of motivating me.

You exercise a ton. Maybe substitute a cardio day for strength training? Although, I'll admit I am very jealous of your cycling. That was my daily passion before I had children and I miss it so much. I no longer live in the area where I used to ride, so now I'm navigating traffic more than I would like (especially with all of the cell phone users; they are horrible drivers).

[wysiwyg]

We're in the same boat together then Pam. At least you understand!

I know what you mean on the cycling front - I cycle through central London to work everyday - if you know Trafalgar Square, you'll know how hairy it is! Unfortunately I have the titanium in my shoulder as an example. I didn't let it get the better of me and was back on the bike within two weeks, much to my surgeon's displeasure. It sounds terrible now, but I even cycled to work up to 8 months pregnant. The only alternative is the underground which I avoid at all costs. I got stuck on the tube for two hours one Summer, no driver announcements, nothing. Just about the worst experience I've ever had. So it's bike all the way now.

When my daughter was born I was so desperate to get out and about that I bought one of those Burley trailers, which are fantastic. Now that she's 6 we've progressed onto the WeeHoo (think it's a Canadian company). Next step is to get a simple tag-along.. All this costs a bleedin fortune. lol.

You're right about the strength exercises. I need to get back to my kettlebell workouts. I had a great little DVD to follow, but the guys Northern accent got my goat in the end

[Runnerchick34]

Thank you so much for sharing!! I have up to Day 5 memorized lol! Maybe this time I can make it passed that!!

You are doing great! You are my motivation!!

[wysiwyg]

Day 10. [return on keyboard doesn't appear to be working, so this will be a long-winded paragraph no doubt!]. Another late night last night (bed @ 11pm). It's a Saturday and one would like a lie-in. Instead I found myself up and about at 6am. Goodness, what's going on! I never ever ever drink coffee, but saw a post about bulletproof coffee, so made a jar of the stuff with ghee and coconut oil. Coffee is really too heavy for me, but it tasted surprisingly creamy. 20 minutes later I find myself in full jogging regalia and pounding around the countryside at 6.30am. Another 'I never do' is exercise at that time of day, but there I was... I know I've dropped a few pounds because about 2 miles into the run it just felt effortless but I kept to 8m30sec per mile to keep HR around 85%max. Felt like I could have gone on but stopped at under 5 miles. Last thing I want is my Achilles throwing in the towel again. Physio man instructed me not to increase mileage by more than 10% per week. Must remember to do those heel drops, per his orders! I think the coffee combined with exercise kept my appetite at bay, so I went off and sorted the horse out and didn't have breakfast until about 9.30am. Meal 1 - 2 poached eggs, massive bowl of mixed veg. Went off to the farmshop and bought a box load of fresh veg which hopefully will last the week. Felt so good just buying lovely veg direct from the grower. The danger with this particular farmshop is that it's a culinary delight (if you're not on paleo!) - the nearer you get to the tills the weaker willed you become. But so blimen chuffed with myself today since I didn't buy a morsel of rubbish (even with my 6 year old in tow). Yay! Meal 2 - Tuna, homemade mayo (not sure what I'm doing wrong, but defo doesn't look nice and white like the ones in the shops!), tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber and homemade coleslaw. Didn't feel like this was likely to be enough carbs, so then had a snack of blueberries and almonds. I've had a little discussion in my head and I think I'm willing to join a triathlon club and start training to complete a 70.3 Ironman. 70.3 is a 1.2m swim, 56 mile bike and then 13 mile run. I can do the latter two, but I really don't like swimming. Probably because I've never been taught how to properly. Off to research about some swimming lessons, but there's a tri-club which happens to meet just down the road, so there's no excuses. I had sent them an email quite a while ago, but I never received a reply (I guess they get a lot of enquiries around 1st Jan!). Anyway, I feel like a need a goal to work on, aside from the 800 mile bike ride we're doing in September! Yikes! :wacko:

[PamH]

OK. I have to tell you l love the words you use (blimen chuffed)!

Busy, busy girl. Make sure you eat enough.

Bullet Proof coffee is so wonderful! I can never bring myself to use as much ghee or coconut milk as the recipes speak of, but it is good nonetheless.

I don't enjoy swimming, either. I think the lack of ability to view the world around me while doing it makes the task too boring. It certainly is wonderful exercise, though.

[wysiwyg]

I don't know why I cannot create paragraphs anymore?? Pam - I couldn't be sure I was putting in the right amount of coconut oil and ghee, so just stuck to a large teaspoon of both! I'm unlikely to make a habit of drinking coffee though - it kind of just sits there doesn't it! Luckily I didn't get any indigestion. Just got home from an absolutely lovely late afternoon hack on the horse. He's also on gut-watch as he has a tendency to pile on the pounds around Spring time. Yes, even horses suffer from sugar intolerances. Lots of sugar in the grass around this time of year which can easily cause laminitis - basically an equine version of diabetes. I went to an interesting equine seminar (in the UK) where they held up a series of USA maps. Each map showed a 10 year period (starting 30 years ago) which showed the average weight of horses relating to the area they were kept. The maps was colour coded. The colour white showed a lower weight with colours gradually turning to red to represent obese horses. The maps from 10-20 years ago were mainly coded white. The map representing the last 10 years was mainly orange and red. An absolute parallel to the increase in average human weight over the same period. Go figure. It's purely down to the feed manufacturers adding sugar to the horse feed. Years ago they were simply fed straights - oats, barley, etc. but now the feed merchants interfere with what should be a basic untouched feedstuff. Horses are also doing much less than they used to. They don't get nearly as much exercise as they did many moons ago. Just the same as human food, it's really hard to find supplements and feed for horses they don't have hidden sugars. Even those marked 'good for laminitics' contain more 10%+ sugar when you get into the analysis. Again, same as the so called 'low fat' food we're hoodwinked to buy! Anyway....even my horse is now on a Paleo diet Just had dins...Meal 3 - chicken thighs (so much tastier than breast meat), orange pepper, red onion, half head of cauliflower made into rice, (I just love this more than real rice now!), mushrooms.

[wysiwyg]

Day 11. In bed by 9pm last night (on a Saturday night...gosh my party days are well and truly over!) but took ages to drift off. Meal 1 - whipped up eggs whites and nuked in the m'wave. Exercise - 6 mile round bike trip to sort horse. Proper Meal 1 - chicken thighs left over from last night, mushrooms, courgettes. Meal 2 - Tuna, homemade mayo (has now separated in the fridge and doesn't look particularly appetising, but hell it got mixed in with tuna so none the wiser), saukerkraut, broccoli, butternut squash, beetroot. Typed out like this it sounds like an awful concoction! Followed up with almonds and blueberries. Exercise - rode horse. Meal 3 - Chicken shaslik, cauliflower 'rice', courgettes and peppers. Been feeling exhausted for most of today and a bit heady. Not sure whether its hormones or not enough carbs. If I was going to crack it was gonna be today. Lovely sunny day and would have been very very easy to buy a bottle of wine and sit in the evening sun with a glass. Had to settle for water instead. I've made it through the day and can't get worse than this feeling, so onwards and upwards.

[wysiwyg]

Day 12. Exercise - 9 mile bike commute. Meal 1 - two poached eggs, frozen mixed veg, avocado, sprouts. Meal 2 - salmon, broccoli, beetroot, mushrooms. Snack - handful of almonds. Exercise - 9 mile bike commute. Meal 3 - Haddock, butternut squash, fresh spinach, beetroot, asparagus. Snack - blueberries, almonds. Felt dreadful today - absolutely zero energy and really foggy, particularly from 2hrs after lunch until my evening meal. This is just the kind of feeling that then leads me to abandon the plan and has in the past, but this time around it's made me more determined and I won't let it get the better of me. I havn't got this far to throw this experiment away. Is my body making a transition or am I just not eating enough? I absolutely know that if I eat any more it'll just make me feel bloated.

[wysiwyg]

Day 13.

Still feeling the same as yesterday and was dreading my morning bike commute. The bike weighs a ton anyway and coupled with headwind didn't help. Feeling really low today

Meal 1 - 2 poached eggs, fresh spinach, red peppers, courgette

Exercise - 4 mile bike commute

Meal 2 - tuna mixed with mayo and almonds, brocolli, carrots, french beans, courgette, beetroot.

Snack - 20 almonds

Exercise - 4 mile bike commute (starting to feel more energise now), rode horse for an hour (what joy to get chased by cows....not!). Meal 3 - Salmon steak, fresh spinach, green pepper, courgette, tomato, asparagus, followed up with a few blueberries and almonds.

[wysiwyg]

Day 14

Feeling heaps better today, but still a way to go.

Meal 1 - 2 poached eggs, spinach red peppers, courgette (this is getting predictable..!)

Exercise - 4 mile bike commute

Snack - 20 almonds

Exercise - 5/6 mile run around Hyde Park - forgot to take HR monitor so probably ended up running harder than I should (gathering from bright red face...and yes it got commented on when I got back to the office... )

Meal 2 - Chicken breast, fresh spinach, sugar snap peas, beetroot, mayo.

Exercise - 4 mile bike commute

Snack - Chicken breast

Meal 3 - Chicken breast (blimey, that's three today...), brocolli, carrot, butternut squash, courgette, sweet potato.

I've never kept a log before, but I just know I'll look back on this in a month's time and find it uber useful in finding any patterns in my eating habits and tiredness. I highly recommend it!

[wysiwyg]

Day 15

Energy back to normal, yay! P arrived (late), so may explain big energy dip over previous 3 days?

Exercise - 9 mile bike commute

Meal 1 - 2 poached eggs, mixed frozen veg, spinach

Meal 2 - tuna, mayo, almonds, spinach, tomatoes, sugar snap peas, beetroot

Exercise - 4 mile bike commute (cheated and rang OH for a lift - besides t'was blowing a hooley out there!...so much for British springtime!)

Meal 3 - 2 pork sausages, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, mushrooms, mayo.