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Eating Real Food - post-W30 journal


Derek`

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Hello

My name is Derek and I'm on my last day of my first Whole30.  I've been struggling with my weight basically since puberty (I'm in my 30s now).  Had ups and downs.  I've done most of the usual things to lose weight - Weight Watchers, Calorie counting, low fat.  About 6-8 months ago, I started to cut out "snack" foods (i.e., processed foods) because they are unhealthy.  Eventually, I morphed into paleo eating without really thinking about it.  Then, I found Whole30 and went for it.  I had lost about 50# prior to starting Whole30, with an ultimate goal of about 110# to lose.

 

My Whole30 experience was great!  Even before Whole30, I figured out that grains will cause acid reflux and that refined sugars will make me depressed.  Those were problems that I've had for a long time and I just figured they were genetic, or something I would just have to live with.  I never thought that they could be cured by my diet and eating real food.  I spent most of 20 years looking to pharmaceuticals to take care of my depression.  Nothing ever really worked.  Eliminating refined sugar (and HFCS) did.  I haven't weighed myself since starting Whole30, so I can't really quantify any weight loss.  But I can't help but watch myself moving along my the notches in my belt and feeling the clothes falling off.  It feels like I just bought new jeans and now I can take them off without unbuttoning them.  And I'm now in the smallest notch of the new belt that I just bought!  So I know that I've lost at least one pants size since starting Whole30.  Probably more like 1.5 sizes.

 

I had been tracking Calories using one of the popular phone apps.  I admit, even when I started Whole30 I was logging food.  *slap my wrists*  I was just getting really frustrated when I visited the forums there.  You were an outcast if you didn't buy into the conventional wisdom dogma of Calories In/Calories Out, the USDA food pyramid and "heart healthy" whole grains blah blah blah...  All of that as well as a recent FB post on the Whole9 page convinced me that counting Calories isn't really what I need to be doing.  I find it much simpler to eat real food, follow the ISWF Meal-Planning template, and listen to my body's hunger signals.  While I learned to hate that other site's message board, I was looking for a new place to post and find support from like-minded people :)

 

So even though I'm technically off of Whole30, I have no desire to add back the crap that made me feel bad for so many years.  My basic 'rules':

 

1. Follow Whole30 and make the best food choices whenever I can.  No weighing/measuring food or counting Calories.  The only exceptions are nuts.  I don't eat them too often, but when I do, I will weigh out an ounce because they are so dense and easy to overeat.

 

2. My body seems to do fine with white/gold/red potatoes so I will have them occasionally, as well as some legumes like Lima beans and peas.  I will basically only use them in post-workout meals or for 'carb loading' before a race or event.

 

3. I'm okay with some cured meats with a little bit of added sugar.

 

4. Try to avoid diet pop except as a very rare occasional treat.  Before Whole30, I was a diet pop fiend.  It's not hyperbole to say that I would sometimes drink a 12-pack in a day in my past life.  During Whole30, I've been drinking club soda with lemon or lime slices as my treat drink.

 

5. No SWYPO/paleo baking.  I just can't get into using almond flour or coconut flour et al for baking.  I just have no interest in it, and it's kind of pricey.  I've learned to prefer eggs or meat with vegetables over pancakes/muffins anyway.  And I don't miss bread at all.  Salads have replaced sandwiches for me.  I may occasionally have frozen banana "ice cream" (Yonanas)

 

6. Daily movement. I will try to get in movement every day.  My routine has been to run 8-12 miles 3x per week, weight lifting at the gym 3x per week, and yoga or walking a few miles 1x per week.

 

7. Play.  Making sure I continue to make time to have fun with my kids and family.  Less time on my phone in the evenings.

 

Some long term goals are: to lose about 55-60 more pounds, and to run in my city's marathon in October 2014, and most importantly to continue to be healthier and happier.

 

Thanks for reading this far.  Looking forward to getting to know you and support each other in our journeys to health.

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Good morning. Lost 7# and 2" during my Whole30. :)

Hunger seems high today. Went on a longish run yesterday afternoon, that's probably why. I probably won't be able to get any movement in because I will be going with my daughter to her gymnastics class. Maybe the ran will stop and I can at least walk for a little bit.

5:45a Breakfast: Bacon, scrambled eggs with onion and pepper (fried in the bacon fat).

12:00p Lunch: Ground beef patty, celery, cauliflower, grape tomatoes, almonds

5:00p Dinner: meatloaf, onions/zucchini sautéed in coconut oil

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Didn't end up with any real movement yesterday.  But I did go to my daughter's gymnastics class (she is 3) so I was helping/playing with her.  She had a lot of fun.

 

5:00a Breakfast: sausage. scrambled eggs with onion/pepper cooked in coconut oil

11:45a Lunch: grape tomatoes. celery. avacado/tuna salad on romaine lettuce.

3:45p PreWO: the rest of my avocado/tuna salad. cauliflower

4:00p Movement: 8-mile run

5:30p Dinner: chicken breast/onions. baked potato.

7:30p Snack: Almonds, grape tomatoes

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Feeling a little sick today :( Some nasty cold virus is going around. Have a little bit of a sore throat and some sniffles, but just feel off. May skip the gym tonight.

5:15a Breakfast: scrambled eggs w/ onion and peppers. cooked in coconut oil

12:30p Lunch: meatloaf. grape tomatoes. broccoli. almonds

5:00p Dinner: chicken/onion sautéed in olive oil. Steamed spinach. Walnuts

No movement today because this cold is knocking me out. We did go to the zoo for a few hours so a little bit of slow walking.

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Thanks, vkanders!

Woke up with a massive sinus headache. Ugh. Just how I want to spend the weekend.

7:30a. Breakfast: bacon. Scrambled eggs with onion/pepper cooked in the bacon fat.

12:00p. Lunch: grape tomatoes. broccoli.  grilled chicken.  Should have had some fat, but wasn't feeling like it since I am sick and all screwed up :(

6:00p Dinner: Big salad w/ lots of veggies and olive oil/vinegar dressing.  Steamed asparagus.  Ham

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So kind of a funny and sad moment.  My mom is having a lot of problems with her kidneys.  She went to a seminar at the hospital to learn how she can help by changing her lifestyle.  They told her to avoid eating whole grains, beans, and brown rice.  She said, "they told me not to eat the very stuff that they've been telling me is good for me for the last thirty years."

 

I confess that I had a bad day of getting into the Halloween candy.  Ugh.  I'm so embarrassed to even post this.  :( Plus, I physically feel like shit because of it.  ugh ugh ugh.  I feel so dumb. 

 

Didn't work out again yesterday.  I'm almost feeling back to 100% from my cold.  I'm just now having stomach issues because of the sugar/bad fat binge.  I'll go running this afternoon.  It's supposed to be 59 degrees and sunny this afternoon, so I can't not run when it's so beautiful out.

Here is what I ate yesterday:

 

7:30a Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with onion/pepper/ham.  cooked in coconut oil

12:00p Lunch: Big salad with various veggies. Chicken Breast. Homemade cilantro-lime dressing.  Orange

5:00p Dinner: Steamed asparagus, Steak, Almonds.

Snacks: too much candy :(

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Halloween candy is rough. As part of my planned off-road weekend, I had some candy corn, and can feel it today. It's delicious, but it's not worth long-term sugar roller coaster. I'm hopping off it today and back to good food and lots of water; otherwise, I'll let a day turn into a week.

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Still feel lousy!  Ugh.  I haven't been able to run since Thursday.  Kind of annoying since I am running a race next weekend.  I should be fine.  Just annoying.

 

Today is my birthday.  I think it will be my first one ever without cake, and I'm perfectly fine with that.  I know I could have some cake if I wanted it, but I really have no desire for it.  Doesn't even sound good really.  I will be going out to dinner with the family tonight.

 

Yesterday:

5:30a Breakfast: Scrambled eggs w/ ham, onion/pepper cooked in coconut oil.

1:00p Lunch: Broccoli. Grape Tomatoes. Chicken breast. Walnuts.

5:15p Dinner: Steamed broccoli. Chicken breast. Almonds

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Thanks, Amber.  :)  Feeling better today.

 

5:30a Breakfast: Ham.  A few walnuts

12:00p Lunch: Broccoli. Grape tomatoes.  Romaine lettuce. Ham. Homemade clinatro-lime dressing

5:30p Dinner: went out for dinner for my birthday.  Had a steak and lobster tail with a baked sweet potato.  And no pop.  I used to always drink pop when I went out.  :)

7:00p Snack: went out for a little frozen yogurt

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Woke up feeling really congested :(  I was feeling better yesterday.  I even worked out.  Now I feel crummy again today ugh.  go away sickies!  Wednesday's log:

 

5:00a Breakfast: Hamburger Patty.  Broccoli w/ olive oil.

12:00p Lunch: Chicken Breast. Grape tomatoes. Carrots. Walnuts

4:15p PreWO: Ham. A few walnuts.

4:45p: Body Pump

5:50p: PostWO: Little bit of Chicken Breast.  Banana.  (I usually do squash or sweet potato, but I was on the go and didn't have a lot of choices)

7:30p: Dinner: Chicken Breast.  Carrots w/ olive oil.

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Thursday: Still didn't feel like working out again.  Hopefully I'm on the mend now.

 

5:00a Breakfast: Scrambled eggs w/ onion/pepper/ham, cooked in coconut oil

12:00p Lunch: Romaine lettuce. Ham. Cilantro-lime dressing.  Carrots. Celery

5:00p Dinner: Scrambled eggs w/ spinach, cooked in coconut oil.  Sausage

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The virus is a bugger isn't it!  Happy Birthday to you - sorry you weren't feeling full of zest and energy.  The October 2014 marathon?  That's a great goal.  Makes me want to get off my rear and start training as well.  Heh.  Wanting is the first step!

 

Hope your cold improves and your energy returns and you get back into your normal routine for the weekend.

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Friday:

5:00a Breakfast.  Ham.  Grape tomatoes

12:30p Lunch. Big Salad w/ steak, lots of veggies, and balsamic/evoo dressing

4:30p Movement. 6-mile run.  My first run in over a week since I've been sick.  It went okay.

5:50p Dinner: Pork chop cooked in evoo. Lima beans

 

 

 The October 2014 marathon?  That's a great goal.  Makes me want to get off my rear and start training as well.  Heh.  Wanting is the first step!

I'm now thinking about a May marathon.  It seems so close, but I can definitely do it.  I probably won't be at goal weight by then, but I will be close.

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Didn't get my movement in.  Got up several times over night with sick kids, then worked a long day today :(  Just exhausted.

 

6:30a. Breakfast.  Ham. Grape Tomatoes

1:00p Lunch. Salad w/ pork chop.  Vinegar/EVOO dressing. Tomatoes. Celery

6:00p Dinner. Roasted Turkey. Green beans. Almonds

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Sunday: Still felt a little sick.  Not quite 100%.  Staying drugged up so that I can 'forget' that I'm sick. 

 

8:30a Breakfast. Scrambled eggs w/ onion/tomato/ham.  cooked in coconut oil

9:00a Movement. 12.5-mile run

11:30a PostWO: Turkey breast. Butternut squash.

1:00p Lunch: Ham. Broccoli. Grape tomatoes.

5:30p Dinner: Romaine lettuce. Ground beef. Salsa. Avocado

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Monday 11/4:

 

5:30a.  Scrambled eggs with onion/ham/pepper. cooked in coconut oil

12:00p Romaine lettuce. Pork chop. Oil/Vinegar dressing.  Broccoli. Celery

4:15p Turkey breast. A few almonds

4:30p 1-hr strength class

6:00p Chicken breast. Steamed carrots

8:00p Cashews. Orange

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Nice job on that 12+ mile run - and then staying on the rails the rest of the day. That can be HARD; long runs can induce fierce hunger.

Thanks.  I think I needed the run more psychologically than physically.  I am running a half marathon on Saturday.  I haven't run much in the past 2 weeks due to being sick.  The rational side of me knows that I would be fine and wouldn't lose my endurance in 2 weeks.  The not-so-rational side of me needed to be reassured with an almost-13.1-mile run ;)

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Thanks.  I think I needed the run more psychologically than physically.  I am running a half marathon on Saturday.  I haven't run much in the past 2 weeks due to being sick.  The rational side of me knows that I would be fine and wouldn't lose my endurance in 2 weeks.  The not-so-rational side of me needed to be reassured with an almost-13.1-mile run ;)

Have a great race on Saturday! The 2 weeks off just have you super-well tapered and rested.

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