Here I go again... Jessica's July Whole30

[Jessica]

So, I am back at the drawing board after a few months of many ups and downs.

I previously logged a pre-27th birthday Whole30 in this forum back in September 2012. It was my most successful Whole30 ever. I just read through it in its entirety, and actually inspired myself to do another Whole30.

Now. Starting today. Not another minute. I need to get my feet back on the ground again.

I reached my ultimate "goal weight" by the end of my pre-27th birthday Whole30 and felt fantastic. I wish I could still say the same. SO much has happened to me since September - good, fantastic, bad and ugly - including:

November - An unfortunate accident that has left me permanently scarred... on my face

December - The tragic ending of a 6 year relationship

January - Picked myself back up again; dappled in the dating scene; started powerlifting training

March - First powerlifting competition; took first place in my weight class; met my wonderful new BF

May - Second powerlifting competition; took first place in my weight class

Along with all these ups and downs, I've experienced some unwelcome and continuous weight gain. A lot of it has been muscle, sure, but not all of it. Also food issues... I won't get into them here.

I KNOW that I need to get back to the basics. I need to keep reminding myself, it's not about a number on the scale - it's about what I'm fueling my body with, how I am treating it, how I FEEL - inside and out. I never felt better than when I was doing the Whole30.

So... here I go again.

Day 1

B - Bulletproof Coffee (black coffee, 1 tsp coconut oil, 1 tsp ghee)

L - 6 oz pork tenderloin over salad, 6 dried apricots, 1/2 oz. walnuts, decaf green tea

D - 6 oz chicken kebab and mixed vegetables, green salad, 1 tsp olive oil

904 calories / 40 g carbs / 36 g fat / 106 g protein

There is NO reason I can't do this. No more excuses. I can live without dairy, booze, grains, sugar. I've done it before and I've NEVER regretted it.

Wish me luck

"Tough times don't last. Tough people do."

[ArLaLeIE]

Reading your story is inspiring! You're right that there is no reason why anyone can't do it, right now! I've never done the whole30 before (started yesterday) but glad to see that there are others who have and conquered it with no regrets! 

[Jessica]

Day 1 was great. I already feel better... it's amazing what "eating clean" can do for your mental and physical well-being. There is just something about "cutting out the crap", even the not-so-bad stuff.

I know you're not supposed to weigh yourself during a Whole30, but unfortunately I need to make weight for my powerlifting competition on August 10, so I need to be aware of exactly where I am at. I was 148 yesterday morning and 146 this morning; I need to be at 132 or less on August 10. I can usually cut at least 3 lbs of water right before competition, so I really need to be at 135 by August 3. It's going to be difficult, but it's definitely do-able. Plus, in my mind, I don't have a choice.

Day 2

Morning lifting session - 45 minutes (deadlift, bench press, rack pulls)

B - coffee with coconut milk pre-WO; 2 scrambled eggs post-WO

L - 7 oz. broiled salmon, green salad, 0.5 oz walnuts, 1.5 oz. dried apricots, half avocado

D - 6 oz. pork tenderloin, 1 c. broccoli, 0.5 c. unsweetened applesauce, 1 tsp coconut butter

1346 cal / 118g protein / 65g carbs / 71 g fat

I can do this.

“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.â€

[Jessica]

I feel so much more slender already.

I usually take BCAAs every day to facilitate muscle recovery. The product I usually use is a calorie-free flavored powder that you mix with water (so, fake sugar - fun flavors like watermelon, green apple etc.). So I have to say bye-bye to that for now. I was thinking I could just skip the BCAAs altogether, since I always questioned whether it was really just a placebo effect. However, after yesterday's lifting session, I swear I felt it more throughout the day than usual, and today... thankfully there are capsule options with just straight BCAAs.

I went for my annual physical yesterday. Blood pressure is good. My doctor was, of course, on my case about my dang smoking habit. It's something I've struggled with for years - on again, off again. So, I quit today. Again. Which means I need to incorporate a "cheat" into this Whole30 - nicotine gum. I don't think anyone would argue that that's OK. She is sending me for bloodwork, so I am excited to see what my panels look like since going Paleo a couple years ago (haven't had bloodwork in 5+ years).

I am going on a backpacking trip through Yosemite for a week starting this Saturday - SO excited. I plan on basically eating nothing but Whole30-compliant jerky and trail mix for a week, haha.

7:30am - Coffee with 1/4 c. coconut milk

9:30am - 2 eggs scrambled, half avocado, 1 c. broccoli

(I was still very satiated until around 2pm)

2pm - 0.5 oz. walnuts, 1.5 oz. dried apricots

5:30pm - 8 oz. pork tenderloin, 1 c. water chestnuts

10pm - 2 tbsp coconut butter with cocoa and cinnamon (oh my, so good)

1138 calories / 80g protein / 71g carbs / 63g fat

"Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength."

[amberino21]

wow....you're really not eating enough. not supposed to count calories, but you are, so i'll comment!! if you're eating that little you're going to risk hurting yourself long term. please eat more!

 

you have barely any vegies, even less starchy ones, most meals don't have a lot of fat....and if you're training you need to fuel yourself properly. missing meals isn't the answer to losing fat.