Whole30 Redux

[GoJo09]

T -5: The Plan

I'm starting on Monday, but getting all my goals and thoughts in order now, before going out of town for a long weekend.

So, this is my second W30 - my first was a few months ago, and had great results for my skin, mood, etc. It pinpointed some intolerances (gluten and milk, specifically) and I ended up with a better-than-a-kick-in-the-pants 1.5kg weight loss. I also ended a long term association with My Fitness Pal; I put my kitchen scales away and gladly refrained from weighing so damn often.

Unfortunately, I clearly called time too early, as some insidious little habits kicked back in immediately. Did I need to eat that entire litre of grand mariner scorched almond icecream to realise that I didn't do dairy or sugar well? No, I did not. And seeing as I haven't been eating sugar for at least 6 months before this, it was even dumber. And the nuts and the coconut butter and the coconut flakes and all those tasty fats that can be eaten straight from the jar so easily... Yeah, they're not helping anyone. So while my meals remained template-worthy, the little bits and pieces surrounding the meals and the bingeing, especially on weekends, have encouraged me to return to the rigidity of the W30 for another crack at improving my relationship with food.

I'm trying very hard not to focus on weight and negative self-image, but man is it hard! I've got some meditation and hypnosis going on, and have a handy little trick of making myself sing all the lyrics to Kenny Rogers The Gambler - near-on impossible to maintain negative thoughts while singing! However, I do want to lose some weight/body fat (I almost typed a specific amount, but what would that achieve?!) so that I can do my jeans up again and feel good in my clothes.

So, the things I'm going to focus on during this Whole30 (which I'm already envisioning being significantly longer, probably 60 days) are:

1. Be vigilant with fat and protein servings - I'm not yet able to tell when I'm full, so I continue eating until everything on my plate is gone. So I need to make sure that what I'm serving is just 1 portion of each (with the knowledge that I can go back for more if I'm still hungry 10 mins later)
   
2. Slow down and focus on what I'm eating. This is particularly hard, as the main time I read is while eating breakfast and lunch, which tends to lead to shovelling the food in. So, I'm going to make meal times stimulus free, and stop listening to podcasts/facebooking/playing phone games on the train, and make that my reading time.
   
3. Stop eating directly from the jar/packet/fridge. If it's not a mini-meal that needs to be plated, then I shouldn't be eating it If I can't be bothered putting the food on a plate to eat it, then I shouldn't be eating it. Further to this, nuts are only to be used in recipes as condiments. I think I'll chuck them in the freezer actually - out of direct sight!
   
4. Cook one new recipe or use one new ingredient each week. I've just got a copy of Well Fed, and there are dozens of recipes floating round that I always think "I should try that" but then I go back to my old faithfuls - which is fine, but it's always good to expand the repertoire a little - and I really want to try making pate, and talk to the butcher about what's in their sausages (for some reason I'm too shy to interrogate the butcher - like they'd care!).
   

I had to carry my bag in to work today for my long weekend as I have a work event tonight and I'm staying at a friend's tonight before going to the airport at 6am. So today I lugged in: lunch and dinner for today, breakfast and lunch for tomorrow, 5 tins of tuna, a small bag of nuts and emergency Larabars. Airport security will think I'm a loony, and I'm ok with that.

[GoJo09]

Wow, that was pretty epic! To continue, though, today was:

1. 7am: Cold roast chicken, 1/4 avocado, pile of sauteed silverbeet and broccoli in coconut oil. Black coffee
   
2. 12pm (and was very ready for it!): Chocolate chilli, pile of bok choy, 1/4 avocado, 1/2 small sweet potato
   
3. (To come at 5pm): Turkey mince stirfried in CO with coleslaw-esque mix, and bok choy
   

I also had a long black about 10am, which left me pretty amped up for a few hours. I usually have a spoon of coconut cream in my coffee in the morning, but I didn't want to open a new can when I was going away for 5 days and also, trying to dial back that fat - I think it may have backfired, given the early hunger as I don't usually eat lunch until 1pm - not a big deal today as I'm having dinner at 5pm.

Exercise My lunchtime boxing session was cancelled because of heavy rain, so nothing today. I should have got up and done some yoga this morning, but I had to finish packing my stuff for the weekend.

For tomorrow I have:

1. (At the airport): Cold roast chicken, capsicum, carrot and cucumber sticks, 1/2 sweet potato, avo-tahini dip
   
2. Small tin of tuna in oil, more vege sticks, and I'll probably end up buying something more too
   
3. This is in the hands of the Gods. I have no idea what we'll be doing, where we'll be going, or even if I'll get food at all. I will probably have a glass of wine and whatever looks best to eat.
   

I'm going to do the best I can while away, but I purposely made Monday my start day so that I can have a wine if I choose. I'm actually not home until Monday evening, but I should be able to sort myself out with salad and tuna. I mainly chose Monday as I have a habit of buying junkfood at the airport and stuffing myself with it before I get home - sort of a "What goes on holiday stays on holiday" mindset, as if junk doesn't count if consumed at 30,000 feet.

[GoJo09]

T -1: Still on holiday

Third day of my long weekend, and I've eaten some great, technically compliant food (went to a great organic raw food cafe that had delicious food, and I got to try kombucha for the first time).

I've also over-eaten, drunk a tad to much, and feel a little blobby. My conclusion is that booze makes me look and feel like rubbish. Wine makes me feel seedy and heart-burny, beer fills me up and goes straight through me while still making me bloated, and spirits just generally make me feel yuck. So, while I like that first glass of wine or beer, it's not really worth it.

I also had pizza, which was yum, but I forgot to order gluten free, and even though I didn't eat that much (half a pizza and some cops) I felt over-full, and felt that way all evening - quite bogged down. And there's been a distinct lack of vege all weekend, due to my friend having no food in her house and eating every meal on the fly.

All this to say, I'm looking forward to getting back in my own zone tomorrow with lots of vege and clean foods. And the gym! Can't wait to go for a run when I get home tomorrow afternoon!

[GoJo09]

Day 1

I had my coleslaw and salmon for breaky, sitting on the balcony of my 19th floor hotel room overlooking the beach. Lovely walk on the beach into town to buy some M&Ms to replace the ones eaten from the mini-bar last night (yes, I know). Was so tempting to get another choc bar while there and just start tomorrow - damn siren song of sugar! I didn't listen though, and got out of there with a bottle of water and an apple.

Now I'm sitting at the airport. My flight's been delayed by half an hour already and I'm bored. I'm not really hungry as I had a tin of tuna before I left my hotel, but I'm so tempted to eat my coleslaw and tuna just to have something to do! But I really need to wait as long as possible before I eat it or I'll be hungry when I land and I plan to get groceries and go for a run before dinner. I really wish some of my friends were online to chat with and distract/entertain me! Never around when you need them :-).

Have been using the time to try and work out what I want to do exercise wise for the next month to six weeks. I could do bootcamp 3x week for 6 weeks ($120) or PT sessions once a week ($99 for 3 30 min sessions), but I also have yoga once a week, boxing once a week, and a gym membership and I'm doing a learn to run program... Since I don't have a problem pushing myself when I'm at the gym, just getting out of bed at 4.45am, I've come up with the idea of a kitty where I put in $20 at the start of the week and I can only take out money for coffee, magazines, climbing, etc if I've been to the gym. $5 a session is pretty good incentive to go, and cheaper than paying a trainer!

Have successfully wasted enough time that I can eat my salad now!

Later...

Got groceries on the way home, and decided instead of going for a run I'd just get down to prepping for the week (and doing washing, and all that boring stuff). So, I've roasted some chicken, some sweet potato, some mixed roast vege (sweet potato, purple carrot, parsnip, onion), made a pot of pumpkin and pear soup (which is still sitting on the stove), and boiled some eggs, plus I made some avo-tahini dip and a pork stirfry, as well as chopping up some leek for breakfast (still more vege that I can't be arsed cutting right now - will do that tomorrow).

So, today's food ended up being:

1. Tin of salmon and coleslaw. Apple. 2 instant coffees, and a long black.
   
2. Tin of tuna in oil and coleslaw (only ate 2/3) and a Larabar (on the plane, I didn't want to whip out the stinky tuna!)
   
3. 1/4 of the pork stirfry and a big spoonful of avo-tahini dip (a surprisingly tasty combo). Few bites of roast vege. Rooibos tea.
   

Really full after dinner, even though I haven't eaten that much today, and it wasn't a huge serving - I guess I've been sitting on my butt all day, not exactly burning energy. Meal plan done for the week, and off to the gym first thing tomorrow.

[GoJo09]

Day 2

Slept in this morning after falling asleep pretty early and sleeping right through the night (that never happens, my bladder always wakes me up - means I'm dehydrated). So, no gym this morning, but planned to go for a jog after work. So, for now the $5 stays in the kitty and I get no coffee!

I cut down to 2 eggs this morning, as I think/know I've been overeating somewhere. Was hungry about 10, but had a coffee and it went away (although a 1hr fire drill at work probably helped distract me from the hunger). Was defo hungry at 12.30, and lunch went down a treat.

It's very cold at work today (as it usually is in the afternoons - don't know why I'm always surprised and dismayed by this), and I think that's making me want to eat. I do have an egg and some coleslaw for if I get hungry this afternoon, and since I'm now going to a friend's for dinner (homemade soup - she knows the W30 restrictions, so should be fine) and possibly a jog, I might have to utilise the afternoon tea.

Today's food:

1. 2 eggs, silverbeet, bok choy and leeks, cooked in a big teaspoon of coconut oil. Coffee
   
2. Pork stirfry with extra bok choy and avo-tahini dressing
   
3. Egg and dry coleslaw
   
4. Soup??
   

[GoJo09]

Ended up not going to my friend's for dinner - I cancelled as I'm still trying to get back on track after my long weekend. Didn't go for a jog either, as I was pretty hungry by the time I got home, despite having afternoon tea. Not enough fat earlier??

Had some cold roast vege before I started cooking (had one piece straight from the container before I remembered the plate rule!), and then whizzed up enough cauli, broccoli, onion and garlic fried with coconut oil and chicken to do me for lunch tomorrow as well. Also ate a tsp of coconut oil (new jar, was testing it as it smelled great) and a tsp of ABC (despite my celery rule). Was pretty full before I finished, but it wasn't really that big a serve - I ended up eating it all.

Now I've crashed again - super tired, almost too tired to bother watching the rest of the TV show I have on. But it's only 8pm - far too early for bed! Being too tired to watch TV is ridiculous! Cup of ginger tea might end up counter productive and wake me up when I want to go to bed...

[kew]

Just curious....why not go to bed at 8:00 pm if you are that tired?

[GoJo09]

Just curious....why not go to bed at 8:00 pm if you are that tired?

Yeah, I guess I could have - 8pm just sounds so early! Which is dumb, since I'm in bed with the lights out by 9pm anyway!

Day 3

Woke up with a bit of a sore throat, but no longer feeling tired (which I guess means I got exactly the right amount of sleep!). I didn't get up though - as it was cold, I'm lazy, and a sore throat is a great excuse not to gym!

Dialling down the protein a little seems to have worked out today - wasn't gagging for food at lunch time, so walked down to the shops before eating to grab some things. I did eat more fat than normal at breakfast, so that might explain it. Was absolutely chockas after lunch, but not in a bad way, seeing it was just vege and chicken. And I've made it through the whole afternoon without feeling hungry or thinking about eating the extra food I brought in - so I guess that can stay in the fridge for tomorrow. Off to my friend's tonight for dinner (after cancelling last night), so even better that I don't have to cook!

Today's food:

1. 2 egg omelette with bok choy, leeks and half an avo, cooked in about 2 tsps coconut oil. Coffee with 1/2 tsp coconut oil (out of coconut cream, and this was delicious!)
   
2. Cauli-broccoli faux rice and chicken, with an extra tsp of coconut oil stirred through
   
3. Soup??
   

Even though it's only been 3 days, and I wasn't that off-plan in between anyway (excluding Sunday's holiday binge), I think I've already lost a bit of bloat. I bet it's the damn nuts! I love nuts...

I had said to a friend that I hadn't had any reaction to the sugar on Sunday, but then was saying to another friend about feeling really negatively about my weekend away because of the behaviour of the friend I was visiting - and then I made the connection between a) having the binge in the first place, and b ) feeling so negatively afterwards. Doh! (Overall it was a pretty crappy weekend, but I wouldn't normally whinge about it for hours on end.)

Tomorrow is boxing at lunchtime, so at least I can sleep in guilt-free (because I've been feeling oh so guilty the past two days!).

[GoJo09]

Day 4

Dinner last night was a chicken soup, made from homemade stock, chicken, broccoli, kale and seaweed, with a bit of lemon and olive oil on top. It was really nice, but not enough food for me, unfortunately. I ate a Larabar while waiting for the train home, and then had half a small sweet potato with ABC butter on top and a HB egg. Perfect.

Boxing at 1pm today, so that has shuffled around my meals a little. I ate a little less at breakfast this morning as I knew I'd be having a pre-WO meal at 12, so wanted to actually be hungry for that. Don't know if that's actually the correct logic, but it's what I'm doing. And then a carb hit immediately after boxing. Plus I know the kitchen at work will probably be packed when we get back, so lunch will be about 2.30pm - which will actually work out well as I want to go to the mall after work, so a later lunch will mean I won't be starving by the time I get home.

Today's food:

1. 2 eggs, bok choy and leeks in coconut oil with 1/4 avo. Coffee with 1/2 tsp coconut oil
   
2. Pre-WO: coleslaw, avo-tahini dressing, HB egg
   
3. Post-WO: Half sweet potato
   
4. Choc chilli over bok choy with 1/4 avo
   
5. Can't remember what was on the plan for dinner - something easy like sauteed cabbage with some roast chicken.
   

[GoJo09]

Was a bit full from the pre-workout meal, so will dial it back a little next week - maybe just the egg. I had the sweet potato as soon as I got back to the office (still in my sweaty workout gear!) - it was so sweet it was almost like eating lollies. Don't know if that's a good thing or not...

I was hungry when I had the SP, but it really did fill me up - I didn't even think about having my lunch until 4.45pm! I guess that makes it an early dinner rather than lunch . Will probably just have some soup when I get home, or a bit of roast chicken and some carrot sticks or the like.

[GoJo09]

Day 5

I don't know if it was just habit, but while waiting for the train home from shopping last night I felt really hungry, even though it was only 2.5 hours since I had my late lunch. I contemplated buying something from the supermarket, but the only easy thing I could find was smoked salmon, then I remembered I had a Larabar in my handbag, so I ate that at the station, and when I got home I tucked in to a bit of roast chicken and cucumber slices, and then had half a roast sweet potato with ABC butter. I don't know if I was actually hungry for the SP or not. But I didn't feel stuffed after eating it.

Today I had a work trip to a printer, and then they took us out to lunch. To a cafe that had on the menu approx. 20 types of pizza, sandwiches and pasta. And a smoked salmon salad or greek salad. I interrogated the staff about the content of the salmon salad and was happy with all of the ingredients. And then it came out with a pile of some kind of cheese on it (thankfully they were big chunks I could pick off) and none of the oil dressing I was told was on it. Had two long blacks as well, so was a bit shaky after that! Was planning to go for a run after work, so had the mini-meal I'd bought to work with me (in preparation of not being able to find much compliant for lunch), but then I felt like a few injuries from yesterday's boxing would not be helped by further exercise.

Got home and was a bit hungry, so had an early dinner of a pick-plate, and then was feeling like I wanted to eat more (not hungry, just wanted to eat something...) so had some more SP with ABC, a cacao drink with coconut milk, and then some more SP with ABC. Again, I don't feel stuffed, but I do now feel satisfied.

Today's food:

1. Roast chicken, broccoli and leeks fried in CO, avo-tahini dip, coffee with CC
   
2. Hot smoked salmon salad (mixed leaves, tomato, cucumber), 2 long black coffees
   
3. HB egg, coleslaw, avo-tahini dip
   
4. 2 HB egg, 1/2 SP w/ABC, olives, carrot, roast vege, saurkraut, few nuts
   
5. 2 x SP w/ ABC, few nuts, cacao with CC
   

Haven't been to the gym all week, and my shoulder is burning from boxing, and my knee is aching too. I think I'm going to have to give up the boxing, even though I'm the one organising it, which sucks - I really enjoy it, but both those injuries have been dormant for ages, and have now flared up after one session. Hope I'm good to gym tomorrow.

[GoJo09]

Day 6

So far today, I have done zero study. I know I'm going to start freaking out soon... I didn't get to the gym today because my shoulder was sore and because I had too much study to do. How it gets to 2pm and I haven't done any is a mystery. A mystery of procrastinating proportions. I haven't even cleaned! (I have done 2 loads of washing, got groceries and bought some new clothes...)

Just had lunch and now I'm having full on gluten-esque feelings - tired, head full and spacey, eyes a bit blurry, can barely get up the energy to have a drink of water. Which is all really bizarre as I made a Thai soup with homemade stock, compliant curry paste, chicken, zoodles and bok choy - all things that I've eaten plenty of times in isolation with no effect. I really want to have a wee lie down, but maybe this is my body tricking me in to more study procrastination!

Today's food:

1. Silverbeet, leek and 2 egg scramble, coffee w/ CC x2
   
2. Thai chicken soup, coffee w/ CC
   

[GoJo09]

Day 7

Yesterday turned in to one of those days where I just picked and snacked all afternoon. I wouldn't say it was tonnes of food, but it was pretty constant. I had afternoon tea even though I wasn't that hungry, just so that I would stop picking. Didn't actually work out that way though.

I did fulfill my new recipe/ingredient task for the week, with a steak and kidney casserole. I slow cooked it in the oven, and it just tasted like beef, so that was ok. Maybe my picking all afternoon was because I was a little unsure about the stew?

I feel like I'm getting a bit of a flu today - achy neck, stuffy head, runny nose. I think I'll be spending the day in my PJs, studying and watching The Americans - damn new TV shows that keep sucking me in! Damn the lovely girl at work who keeps putting me on to them! I might actually bake her a thank you treat this afternoon, if I'm in the mood. (Still have all the non-Paleo baking ingredients in my cupboards to use up. I should feel bad giving terrible food like that to people, but they don't want my healthy alternatives - and I don't want to waste expensive ingredients on people who don't appreciate them!)

I had choc chillii on bok choy for breakfast this morning, and for the first time I really didn't feel like eating it. I was definitely hungry - I ate a piece of SP when I got up (planning to gym, then changed my mind) - but the chilli just didn't appeal to me. So I only ate about half the bowl (it was a huge serve, using up the last of the container). I was still hungry though, so had some more SP with ABC. It's still vege, I guess.

Today's food:

1. Choc chilli w/ bok choy and 1/2 small avo; 3x SP slices w/ ABC, 2x coffee w/ CC
   
2. Planned: mushrooms stuffed with mince
   
3. Planned: omelette w/ silverbeet, onion and 1/2 avo
   

Unsurprisingly, I was hungry by 11.30. I chucked the stuffed mushrooms and capsicums in the oven, and had 3 slices of ham rolled up with saurkraut and olives while waiting for it to cook. Then I had 2 mushrooms with mince and coleslaw, and some nuts and sultanas. I feel a bit better now, so going to jump on the treadmill and do a jog.

Had an HB egg pre-jog, and a bowl of steak and kidney stew post-jog (wasn't a big WO, but I was hungry ). Have a bit of a dodgy stomach now (same as I had after breakfast - maybe me and meat aren't great friends today?).

[GoJo09]

Day 8

Hi, my name's Joanna, and I'm a weekend overeater.

When will I learn that nuts make me bloat? Honestly, I've successfully (and I would say, easily) given up sugar and grains, why the hell can I not let go of the nuts?

I ended up yesterday finishing off the sultanas and quite a few nuts, and my stomach is seriously making me pay for it today - I couldn't suck that puppy in if I was paid to! Added to this the pimples that I still have from my sugar indulgence last weekend, and I'm a big ol' food mess. I had a small "meal" of an egg, sauerkraut, carrot sticks w avo-tahini dip last night, but I was honestly just picking all afternoon. A combination of boredom (with studying) and being stuck at home (studying). It would almost be easier if I were going out and eating huge meals and drinking too much - at least that's a behaviour that I could easily control. But constant picking is so much harder. Long weekend next week, and I vow it will be better! (There will definitely be no nuts or dried fruit, at the very least!)

Have yoga at 12.30 today, so won't eat until after that, and will probably go for a short run after work tonight.

Today's food:

1. Broccoli, silverbeet and 2 egg scramble in 1t of CO, with the last of the avo-tahini dip, coffee w/ CC
   
2. Mince-stuffed capsicum, half avo, asparagus
   
3. HB egg
   
4. Chicken and cauliflower faux rice
   

[GoJo09]

Day 9

 

Just got blood test results from my doctor, and everything that was wrong with me last year (liver function, auto-immune markers, inflammatory markers) have all fixed themselves. Yay to good diet! Except my iron levels, which I'll probably have to supplement for ever - seriously, I eat red meat every day and I'm still low in iron? Not right.

 

Was planning to run after work, but from about 3pm onwards my head got stuffier and stuffier, and I was far too tired to run. Also, yoga kicked my arse - I thought that I was just weak today, but we had a different teacher and everyone else found it harder too.

 

I did feel well enough to gym this morning, despite having to breathe mostly through my mouth (which makes me look slightly dumb). Didn't feel like doing the programmed workout, which was all arms, so just did 3 supersets that I made up with upper/lower splits and intervals.

 

Today's food:

1. Pre-WO: HB egg and slice of pumpkin
2. Post-WO: 1/2 small sweet potato
3. 2 eggs. broccoli and bok choy scramble in CO, with 1/2 small avo on top. Coffee with CC
4. Half capsicum stuffed with mince, bunch asparagus, 1/2 small avo
5. Beef mince and cabbage of some description

[percypat]

That's awesome news about your blood test!  Apart from the iron part, but how cool to have a whole bunch of things fixed just through diet?

[GoJo09]

Day 10

 

Yep, well, I always knew that diet had a big impact on them - I gave up junk food (well, on a daily basis, anyway ) in August last year as my rheumtologist said that diet was the one thing I could control that could help prevent me developing rheumatoid arthritis. But I was still pretty glad to get the all clear - although I will probably have to stick with the sugar-less life to keep it clear.

 

I spent a lot of time yesterday reading Mark's Daily Apple, and downloaded the fitness ebook that he has. The dietary part looks pretty similar to Whole 9, with just a bit more focus on the macro percentages rather than free eating - I'll read a bit more on that to fine tune things when the time comes, but I'm really not interested in going back to tracking calories and macros - I feel so much happier without that stuff in my life.

 

Anyway, the fitness side of things looked pretty good, with less intensity than I've been doing in the past, so I'm going to give that a whirl for the next month or so - as I was reading it, it did occur to me that in the past I had never done stacks of gym training, and I'd always been able to maintain my weight. I was never as lean as when I did structured workouts, but it was also a hell of a lot easier, and I didn't have as many injuries! I'm also going to ditch the pre-WO as I really don't think that I need it and maybe I'll just have some kumara after a weights/sprint session.

 

Getting stuffier and stuffier as the day goes on - I seem to be fine first thing, which is odd but handy.

 

Today's Food:

1. 2 egg, silverbeet and broccoli scramble, 1/2 serve roast beef, 1/2 small avo, coffee with CC
2. Cauli faux rice with chicken thigh, 1/2 serve roast beef, 1/2 small avo
3. Hmm, actually I didn't get anything out for dinner. I guess I'll make something like crumbed sardines with bok choy.

[GoJo09]

Day 11

 

Pretty tired today after doing C25K week 3 at the gym this morning and then walking 50 mins to work. I think I'm going to get hungry this afternoon as well, and I have no food to hand.

 

I also have realised the past few days that I finish my meals and don't think I'm full, but 20-30 mins later I am full, and if I eat more at the meal time I end up overfull - so there's some disconnect between my stomach and brain, which makes it hard for me to trust my satiety signals. You'd think since this is my second W30 I'd have that shit sorted out, but maybe I was just overeating for the entirety of my first round.

 

Today's food:

1. Post-WO: 1/2 roast sweet potato
2. 2 egg scramble with broccoli and silverbeet in CO, 1/2 small avocado, coffee with CC
3. Leftover beef and cabbage "curry", HB egg, 1/2 small avocado

I'm going shopping after work today, so I will probably need something before I get home. No idea what to get though - I guess a tin of tuna would be easiest...

 

Duh! I just realised why I'm feeling so weary - I'm wearing contacts in the office today, so my eyes are dry and tired! Nothing to do with exercise. Stupid vanity!

[GoJo09]

Day 12

 

God, it's amazing how much having to focus all day yesterday drained me! I actually feel like my eyesight's been getting worse in the past few months, so I might have to go and get that checked .

 

Went shopping with a friend after work and had a Sumo Salad salmon salad for dinner. Was all compliant, but the problem with those places is they skimp on the protein and fat (as being more expensive than red onions, of which there was an abundance), so I wasn't satisfied and had a handful of nuts and a cacao with CC when I got home. Was super weary all evening too.

 

Was still a bit tired this morning, so didn't do my scheduled sprints at the gym (will do those tomorrow), but did walk 20 mins from the station to work. Still a bit flat today - don't know if that's related to having a cold, being a bit hungry yesterday and not eating enough, the contacts wearing my brain out... Supposed to go out for drinks (ha!) after work, but might bail.

 

Today's food:

1. 3 egg scramble with broccoli and silverbeet, garlic olive oil, coffee with CC
2. chicken curry, bok choy, 1/2 avocado
3. Completely failed to get anything out for dinner again! Brain clearly not working this week. I have prawns in the freezer though, so I can make a quick stirfry or Thai curry with those.

[GoJo09]

Day 13

 

Went to the gym and did intervals this morning - 10 mins and it kicked my arse! It was only 20s 100%, 40s recovery, but the last few I was down to 15-16secs and the very last one I couldn't do at all! Then 20 mins of yoga (pretending I didn't care what other people in the gym thought of me - fake it till you make it!). I forgot to take anything to eat after the gym, and it's nearly impossible to find any kind of quick protein at the supermarket that isn't stuffed with preservatives and/or sugar. So I ended up having two coconut date rolls (sugar bombs! I'm fairly certain from looking at them before that they're purely dates and coconut, but the boxes didn't have ingredients listed). Got home and smashed a super late breakfast.

 

Roasted some vege in ghee - amazing! Finally found a use for the bucket of ghee that I don't like cooking with. Ate a few, just to test them...

 

Have to study today, which is going to make not boredom eating hard, but I don't have anything snacky in the house (except for the tray of roasties that I just made). Been reading all the "Success Stories" on Mark's Daily Apple, and it really does  motivate me to stick to the template and carry on eating Paleo/Primal after the 30 days. I want what they're having! Effortless fat loss, where are you??

 

Today's food:

1. Pre-WO: 1/2 kiwifruit, black coffee
2. Post-WO: 2x coconut date rolls
3. Beef and olive salad with garlic EVOO and balsamic, 2x coffee w/ CC
4. Will be: Omelette w/ silverbeet, leeks, red capsicum
5. Will be: Steak and...something

[GoJo09]

Day 14

 

Ended up back at the supermarket last night for something I'd forgotten, and bought a small tub of mixed nuts - even though it's terribly uneconomic to buy the smaller size, I'm well aware that buying a larger packet would just result in me eating a larger amount. So dinner last night was steak, kale chips, sauerkraut and mixed nuts. Anyway...

 

Listening to my hunger signals, so this morning I had been up (well, awake and reading) for an hour or so before I felt hungry enough for breakfast. I decided to walk to the gym instead of driving, getting a bit of vit D in the process, so by the time I'd walked up, done my work out and walked home via the supermarket (which is actually about 4km out of the way), it was time for lunch and I'd successfully avoided study again. So this afternoon is concentrated study time.

 

Today's food:

1. 2 egg scramble with leeks, 1/4 capsicum, silverbeet in CO, 2x coffee w/ CC
2. Nori sheets filled with smoked salmon, avocado, grated carrot and cucumber (did NOT hold together well); few bits of roasted vege, some sauerkraut, coffee w/ CC
3. Will be: Not sure. Maybe a giant steak and olive salad, I have some big field mushrooms so might stuff those with mince, or maybe some salmon and zucchini fritters...So many options the day after groceries!

[GoJo09]

Got through a weekend day without snacking! In fact, an entire weekend - woot! Been a while since that happened. I had a few bits of roast vege while prepping (a very early) dinner, because I was hungry, but no hand-to-mouth, scouring the cupboards for things to eat to distract me from study, no eating roasties even when I wasn't hungry because they're delicious and, well, there.

 

I did make a conscious statement yesterday that I wouldn't pick all weekend, so that helped. I also exercised both days, which not only gets me out of the house for a while but renews my commitment to health and fitness.

 

I've made (possibly disastrous) field mushrooms stuffed with sardines and chilli sauce, zucchini "chips" and sauteed kale for dinner. 

 

And I know I'll make it through tomorrow at home too. Because I said so.

 

Hmm, no, the mushrooms with sardines and chilli sauce were actually really good. So that counts as my new dish for the week . I am stuffed now though - obviously ate too many roasties before dinner, as the size of the meal was fine.

[GoJo09]

Day 15

 

Been awake since 3.30am. On a weekday when I don't have to get up for work. Damn you, karma! I apologise profusely for raising my eyebrows mockingly at my parents last night (bloody Skype!). Don't know if it was something that I ate yesterday - can't think what, apart from 4 coffees, all before 3pm, would be the culprit there - or if it's just one of those things that happens sometimes. Still, no biggie, I don't have anything except study and a run today, so will be taking it easy and probably an early night.

 

Funny thing though, I was really hungry about 5am, but when I finally decided to get up at 7 (after lying in bed thinking, dozing and reading for a few hours), I wasn't really that hungry. Just had a coffee w/ CC, and will prob cook some breakfast in a little bit.

 

I am seeing a bit of the magic at the moment as well. The pimples that had sprung up after my weekend away just before starting have finally all cleared up (and the willpower involved in not squeezing was immense! It's just so satisfying to do it, even though I know it's bad for my skin and doesn't help at all), and my skin is looking really good. My stomach this morning was flat as, and I'm just generally feeling great. All that without having to go through the crappy stages first .

 

My knee was not happy about the 100 arse to grass squats I did as part of my workout yesterday - it was stiff and a little achey and swollen last night. Finally got around to icing it while watching the last 10mins of a movie and it felt much better. I'll run today, and then do some yoga to stretch it out, and ice it again too - seriously, icing is so easy I don't know why I never get around to doing it!

 

I need to do a bit of meal planning today, as I've been very ad hoc the past week or so - I didn't buy any meat at the supermarket this weekend and plan to use up a lot of the stuff in the freezer. I got some turkey mince out and am going to make a couple of stuffed capsicums, and a mini pot of chocolate chilli (2 serves of each), and I have a few mystery meals in there to eat too - I know I only put them in there a few weeks ago, but I can't for the life of me remember what they are! Some kind of stew? Or mince dish? I guess it'll be surprise lunches this week!

 

Today's food:

1. I might shake things up and have fried eggs this morning! Living dangerously!
2. Beef and olive salad
3. Oh, actually, I'm going to use half the mince to make cauliflower faux rice, since I bought a cauli yesterday. And then I'll use the rest of the cauli to make a faux salmon and mushroom risotto (saw a recipe for bacon and mushroom risotto on Mark's Daily Apple, but I can't find compliant bacon).

[GoJo09]

Booyah - a whole 3 day weekend at home without standing in front of the fridge/cupboards looking for tasty things to eat even though I wasn't hungry! Even though I had a few emotional upsets today, especially, and spent most of the weekend either studying, avoiding studying, or worrying about not studying.

[GoJo09]

Day 17

 

Ended up going home sick yesterday. They had the heat in my office cranked right up, and I actually felt like I was going to pass out - shaky hands, clammy skin... As soon as I walked outside I felt better. But as always when I'm not feeling well, all I wanted to do was eat carbs. The pumpkin soup I planned to eat tasted a bit funky, so I ended up throwing that out, and I didn't really have anything else carby. I ended up eating quite a bit in consequence, but it did make me feel better.

 

I got up for the gym this morning, thinking it was just a heat-related thing yesterday.  But while I was warming up on the treadmill, every time I looked up I would get dizzy and feel a bit off. Then I went to the bathroom, and it was just a little bit warmer in there than the gym, and I immediately started sweating and feeling awful. So I went home and lay on my bed and did some yoga stretching.

 

Felt fine, ate breakfast, got on train, started feeling sick . I don't know if it's breakfast related or maybe PMS related(cramps, general nausea) but I feel really crappy right now, and as soon as I've done everything I need to do this morning, I think I'm going to have to go home. I do think I'll skip the eggs for breakfast tomorrow, just in case.

 

Yesterday's food:

1. 2 eggs scrambled w/ broccoli, silverbeet, leeks, avo dip, coffee w/ CC
2. Pork stirfry, bok choy, CO; Larabar
3. smoked salmon fillet, cucumber, capsicum, 1/2 serve of cauliflower faux rice with turkey mince and avo dip, Larabar, coconut flakes, cocoa w/ CC

Today's food:

1. 2 eggs scrambled w/ broccoli, bok choy, leeks, avo dip, coffee w/ CC
2. Will be: 1/2 serve cauli faux rice w/ turkey mince, olives, coleslaw
3.