Emiley Carey Posted March 2, 2014 Author Share Posted March 2, 2014 Before I started the Whole30, I was planning on kind of keeping it to myself (with the exception of the Whole30 forums). I know part of the material suggests using social media for the sake of accountability and encouragement, but that wasn't really for me. I told my family and a few friends, but I didn't want to be "that girl" whose friends' feeds were absorbed by gratuitous pictures of meals. Before I'm burned at the stake (after you're done posting the pic of your grilled pork chops), I should make it clear that I have no problem with people who inundate social media with their #cleaneating #localfoodie #jerf #nomnom whateverrrrr pictures. In fact, I follow a whole lot of people who post a whole lot of #foodporn (but I HATE that hashtag). I myself have made a few posts and references to Whole30 and clean eating, but I don't want to be in-your-face about it. The reason I didn't photolog all my meals and post daily updates about tiger blood is two-fold: I didn't want to bring shame to anyone making different choices, and I didn't want invite the criticism/judgment/critique of the interwebz into my very personal journey to wellness. Mainly? Because I've been on the other side of it. I don't want someone to see my posts and secretly, or worse--publicly, roll their eyes at my journey and attempts at revolutionizing my nutritional lifestyle. I don't want someone to see me eat a cookie (after my Whole30 is over of course) and think I am some kind of fraud or hypocrite. It seems like what we post comes to define us at some point, and I don't want to be that girl. I've looked at breakfast, lunch, and dinner pictures in my feed, posted by friends and 'net-friends, who are excited about their version of a well-balanced, healthful (and usually pretty) meal. My typical response was too often either (a) guilt because I knew I wasn't eating right, or ( b ) doubtfulness/cynicism because I didn't view that individual as a healthy person or role model for wellness and assumed they'd be diving into a carton of ice cream two hours later, like me. As though that's my call to make. Though I kept those thoughts to myself, I've seen others attack and nit-pick their plates, finding discrepancies in their hashtags. That's just mean. And imagine if those comments ended up knocking out the fragile willpower of the poster. One thing I am seeing in myself during this whole30 is no doubt a result of the amount of time I am spending reading paleo and lifestyle blogs on the web--a more open mind to the complexity of nutrition. In doing so I came across this "essay" by the Minimalists and it really struck a cord with me. Check it out, because they are way more eloquent than I am. http://www.theminimalists.com/awareness/ I used to criticize the Paleo lifestyle and write it off as yet another intense, fad diet, only suitable for Crossfit gym rats. I didn't understand what a fat-adapted body could do, and I didn't agree that my Greek yogurt and granola wasn't the optimal fuel for my lady-body. Therefore, it was stupid. I held that those friends would end up having blood pressure issues and get fat once they ate a speck of gluten. What a smug jerk, huh? I was* undereducated and I allowed my ignorance to speak for me, and I regret not taking the time and patience with my friends to learn about why they chose to follow that style of nutrition. I guess what I am rambling about is that regardless of your presence on social media, and regardless of your views on health and wellness, it's most important to be kind to one another…and not just in what we post, but the attitudes we allow ourselves to harbor. Offer advice when it is sought of you, and seek advice humbly when you need it--considering the source, always. Be kind, be encouraging, be helpful. *am undereducated. It's been said that "No one can ever be overdressed or overeducated." So let's all keep learning! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emiley Carey Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 Day 21: HELLOOOO sore abs ugh M1: weirdest meal award ...reheated fried eggs and diced chicken with marinara sauce on top, half acorn squash, BP Coffee. I don't know if it was the coffee, or what, but I feel like all that food is just sitting in the top of my stomach. No appetite come lunch time, so I used my 30min break to go for a walk. Man am I fortunate to live in AZ in the winter and spring! It was a great walk and now I am kicking myself for not taking advantage of this weather more. It will soon be too hot midday to enjoy a walk at all, much less a brisk 30 min. Unfortunately, I was wearing neither walk-appropriate shoes nor warm weather clothing so I came back sweaty and realizing my feet now really hurt...no pain no gain? But it was worth it and I enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine. I also discovered some workout stations on the trail...did some quick inclined pushups, back extensions, ab curl ups, and hung from the monkey bars to decompress my back. M2: about an hour later than normal, and had to force myself to eat. Leftover turkey/mushrooms/asparagus/onion/spinach from last night. Tasty even without an appetite. A couple dried apple rings, some raw carrots, celery and cucumber in creamy balsamic My NatureBox came yesterday and I can only eat 1 out of 6 packages (the apples)...pretty bummed and considering sending an email requesting gluten free from now on. Many products have honey, which I would be cool with after the Whole30, but I'm thinking gluten is a no-go from now on. Pre-WO: Chicken (brining makes all the difference!) three rounds of body weight interval training. Squats, pushups, plank, walking lunges, jumping jacks, 30lb curls. M3: Mustard pork chop from Freckled Foodie, zucchini fritter, broccoli, a few bites of mixed fruit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbie Beck Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 "My NatureBox came yesterday and I can only eat 1 out of 6 packages (the apples)...pretty bummed and considering sending an email requesting gluten free from now on. Many products have honey, which I would be cool with after the Whole30, but I'm thinking gluten is a no-go from now on." Or just cancel it and make your own Nature Boxes. With all you've learned and your newly acquired status a a Frequent Flyer at Sprouts/WholeFoods/TraderJoes, you could come up with way better collections of nummies. Mommacita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliciaintyler Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Hi Emiley, I'm not much of a poster...more of a lurker lol. But, I just wanted to say I enjoyed your posts very much! You are witty, yet real... and you really get it! I've been reading other people's journeys... and your menus seem to be right on, more than others! Good luck to you! Thanks for your wisdom and wit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emiley Carey Posted March 4, 2014 Author Share Posted March 4, 2014 "My NatureBox came yesterday and I can only eat 1 out of 6 packages (the apples)...pretty bummed and considering sending an email requesting gluten free from now on. Many products have honey, which I would be cool with after the Whole30, but I'm thinking gluten is a no-go from now on." Or just cancel it and make your own Nature Boxes. With all you've learned and your newly acquired status a a Frequent Flyer at Sprouts/WholeFoods/TraderJoes, you could come up with way better collections of nummies. Mommacita Yep! I think you might be on to something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emiley Carey Posted March 4, 2014 Author Share Posted March 4, 2014 Hi Emiley, I'm not much of a poster...more of a lurker lol. But, I just wanted to say I enjoyed your posts very much! You are witty, yet real... and you really get it! I've been reading other people's journeys... and your menus seem to be right on, more than others! Good luck to you! Thanks for your wisdom and wit! Gosh, thanks! The forum has been a fun, safe place for me. I wish you all the best, too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emiley Carey Posted March 4, 2014 Author Share Posted March 4, 2014 Day 22: Just over a week left...I suppose I should start thinking about my re-intros?! Wow! M1: Turkey patty, broccoli, grapes, macadamia nuts Brisk 25min walk with 20 back extensions and a 20-sec spine decompression. Active recovery day! M2: 1 Sausage, 6 mini peppers, raw carrots and celery with creamy balsamic. Some apple rings later...that's a second serving of fruit today so need to keep it in check. Not enough to eat in this meal, and lacking fat. I had three training classes today so it messed up my whole schedule plan but I did my best! M3: ribeye, pan fried sweet potato, mixed salad with tomatoes. The ribeye was deliciously fat-marbled and I also had creamy balsamic on the salad. No gym today...my quads are still firey and my upper abs are feeling tight and sore. I'll stretch a bunch at home and call it a rest day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emiley Carey Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share Posted March 5, 2014 Day 23: Still SO SORE in my quads. Another poster suggested Natural Calm magnesium helps her muscles, and that makes sense because I forgot to have mine last night. I've been sneaking in 5min walks when I can today as it helps quell the pain, but that combined with my work heels has me lumbering around like a baby giraffe I wised-up and prepped breakfast last night...I've been finding myself underfed at breakfast and I think it knocks the whole day off track. M1: sweet potato, whole chicken sausage, 1 1/2 fried egg. I'm happily full! M2: Big mixed salad with creamy balsamic, two turkey patties, mushrooms, and asparagus PreWO: chicken, half a compliant pickle M3: two crispy chicken thighs from Stupid Easy Paleo, roasted carrots, mixed greens salad with tomato/blueberries/balsamic One of my favorite dinners so far! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emiley Carey Posted March 6, 2014 Author Share Posted March 6, 2014 Day 24: OOOOOOH boy...... DH's grandparents are in town, and taking everyone to dinner tonight. At... a Mexican restaurant. No, not just A Mexican restaurant...everyone's favorite Mexican restaurant. Why is it the favorite? Let me count the ways...best chips and salsa, best tortillas, best Pollo Fundido, best spinach enchiladas...beans! rice! horchata!...the list goes on. I'm crying inside. But I'm going, because family is important and because I am a big kid who can make her own choices regardless of the tempting surroundings. (That last bit was just a personal reminder). This would constitute some off-roading, if I were on day 31. But, no. I'm on day 24. sigh. I'll shoot for fajitas and ask that they not be cooked in butter like usual, I guess? M1: Sweet potato, 1 1/2 fried egg, chicken apple sausage, roma tomato M2: Spinach salad with leftover chicken thigh, carrots and celery and creamy balsamic, leftover roasted carrots from last night. Did I mention I roasted them in the juices from the chicken? I swear I'm a culinary genius. M3: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GFChris Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Day 24: OOOOOOH boy...... DH's grandparents are in town, and taking everyone to dinner tonight. At... a Mexican restaurant. No, not just A Mexican restaurant...everyone's favorite Mexican restaurant. Why is it the favorite? Let me count the ways...best chips and salsa, best tortillas, best Pollo Fundido, best spinach enchiladas...beans! rice! horchata!...the list goes on. I'm crying inside. But I'm going, because family is important and because I am a big kid who can make her own choices regardless of the tempting surroundings. (That last bit was just a personal reminder). This would constitute some off-roading, if I were on day 31. But, no. I'm on day 24. sigh. I'll shoot for fajitas and ask that they not be cooked in butter like usual, I guess? M1: Sweet potato, 1 1/2 fried egg, chicken apple sausage, roma tomato M2: Spinach salad with carrots and celery and creamy balsamic, leftover roasted carrots from last night. Did I mention I roasted them in the juices from the chicken? I swear I'm a culinary genius. M3: Eating Mexican food in a compliant way is tricky. - Cooking oil is suspect (make sure it's not soybean or corn). - Seasonings on the grilled meat and veggies in the fajitas is suspect for gluten, soy, sugar or other nasties. - Salsa may contain sugar or corn. Ask LOTS of questions, good luck, and enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbie Beck Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Day 24: OOOOOOH boy...... M2: Spinach salad with carrots and celery and creamy balsamic, leftover roasted carrots from last night. Did I mention I roasted them in the juices from the chicken? I swear I'm a culinary genius. M3: Was there protein in M2?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emiley Carey Posted March 6, 2014 Author Share Posted March 6, 2014 Was there protein in M2?? whoops, forgot to list the chicken. edited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emiley Carey Posted March 7, 2014 Author Share Posted March 7, 2014 I deserve a freakin' medal. I went to Valle Luna and did not have chips, or tortillas, or beans and rice or queso fresco. I had chicken and shrimp fajitas with salsa and some lettuce...all compliant. I win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emiley Carey Posted March 7, 2014 Author Share Posted March 7, 2014 Day 25 and officially bored M1: Turkey patty, 1/2 acorn squash, small bunch red grapes, 3 mini peppers. M2: tuna with mayo and mustard on a bed of spinach. M3: chipotle bowl with compliant carnitas, lettuce, pico, salsa. Handful frozen berries. I ended up getting really nauseous about half an hour after dinner, and threw up pretty much everything I'd eaten. Soo that was weird. I was out with a friend by then so I didn't have any options to eat again, plus I was feeling gross so I just drank some water and dealt with it. Tmi? :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emiley Carey Posted March 11, 2014 Author Share Posted March 11, 2014 Fast forward to Day 29?! I haven't been on the forum and logging my food the past few days so I don't think I will try to catch up but it's encouraging that I am beginning to see some of this as "natural" now. I'm not 100% obsessed with food and my log...down to a healthy 90% obsession I did eat compliantly over the weekend, though I inadvertently skipped a meal on Saturday...I threw sweet potatoes and sausage in the oven to cook while I got ready to leave, planning to grab and go as soon as I could so I wouldn't be late. Wellll I guess my aforementioned culinary genius isn't yet entirely developed because I burned the daylights out of it! I tossed it all in a tupperware and ate the least burnt bits in the car but the sausage was unsalvageable, sadly. I was out and about and finally ate lunch at like 1. Now that I think of it, I skipped a meal yesterday too. I didn't eat M1 until about 10:30, so I wasn't hungry for lunch, and ate dinner at about 6. I'm on track today though. M1: 1/2 Sweet potato, hearty fritata with lots of veggies, beef, egg. M2: skin-on chicken thigh and leg, roasted carrots, stir fried asparagus/onion/mushroom, small green apple, 3 olives (What a crappy day at work. I was in an awful mood after work and just wanted to get home and relax in a hot shower...joke's on me because there was no hot water in my building! Boooo.) M3: Chicken curry - more like a Tom Yum soup because I thinned it out and added lime, etc. Having curry without rice was going to bum me out but eating soup was nice BUT THEN? I freaked out on fruit. Frozen mango and kiwi, apple chips, fruit bar (all fruit), and 4 cashews. Don't know specifically why, and I knew as I was doing it that I wasn't supposed to. I think it was the day 29 sugar dragon haunting me...So close to being done, and I desperately wanted candy and sweets. This proves to me that I don't have all my food issues under control, but that at least I am recognizing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emiley Carey Posted March 12, 2014 Author Share Posted March 12, 2014 Day 30, and the angels sang! I will write an overall review tomorrow once I've better gathered my thoughts, but I can say that I am awfully proud of myself and happy with what I have learned this month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emiley Carey Posted March 13, 2014 Author Share Posted March 13, 2014 Day 31. I did it! I'm not doing a full reintro of anything today...I am currently chewing mint gum and there was some white wine on the ingredient list of the mustard I had with lunch but I'm not doing a specific dairy or grain intro today. I don't feel like it, really. Sorry for the obnoxiously large picture Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbie Beck Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Be honest. It's not because you don't feel like it. It's because you want to go to the Renaissance Festival this weekend. Uh huh... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emiley Carey Posted March 14, 2014 Author Share Posted March 14, 2014 Turned out I "felt like it" last night! I got one of those tiny Haagan Daaz ice creams...the ones that are like 2 bites...aaaand a chocolate bar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runninglawyer88 Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Congrats on finishing! you've done an excellent job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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