Moderators LadyM Posted March 26, 2014 Author Moderators Share Posted March 26, 2014 Day 26 M1 lamb, cauli tabouleh, fennel, bp tea, 8:45 am M2 meat quiche, avocado, 1 pm M3 cracklin chicken cobb salad with green goddess, 4:30 pm Realized this morning that I'm really shortchanging my body and my Whole 30 by not getting a solid 8-9 hours of sleep per night. When my alarm went off this morning at 5 it shocked me. So, I turned it off and slept until after 8. Had a difficult time falling asleep last night. It's tough to wind down after rehearsal. Anyway, since it's spring break, I've decided to again make sleep a priority, which means figuring out a new schedule for my morning workouts. It's OK. It's temporary. After next week there will be weekend performances, not rehearsals every night, so I can get back to earlier bed times. Facial later this morning after a meeting followed by a pedicure I think. When it comes to pampering myself I pretty much always say "Why not?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjena Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 I agree - sleep is so important! Try to stock up on the zzz's over spring break. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators LadyM Posted March 27, 2014 Author Moderators Share Posted March 27, 2014 Day 27 M1 coconut spinach and salmon, 8 M2 lamb and tabouleh, noon M3 short ribs, slaw, cuke salad, 5 Another sleep without alarm, though I awoke on my own after seven hours. I'm taking that as a sign that maybe I am getting the rest I need. Also, another rest day yesterday from working out. I've just felt intuitively that my body needs rest. A little concerned about my missed workouts and runs, but we'll just see how it goes. I might head out for a leisurely run this afternoon. Food is going great. I mean seriously: when do I give myself the freedom to truly enjoy my food like I do on a W30? For example, I got the hungries yesterday at 4:30, even though I'd had lunch at 1. My manager mind said, "LadyM, you're not really hungry. Wait until 6 to eat as planned." Then happy W30 me said, "Phhhhhhhhtth! I eat when I'm hungry, and this is true hunger. And I want a giant delicious salad with crispy chicken, bacon, avocado, and beets, even though I had avocado with lunch." Of course, I listened to the happy W30 me. And it was a good thing I was home alone, because I moaned with delight through my entire dinner. Another major win here is not just that I can trust my hunger, but I can trust my fat-adapted body. Even when I eat M3 at 4 or 4:30 in the afternoon followed by an intense rehearsal, I don't need to eat until the next morning. This is true liberation! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators LadyM Posted March 28, 2014 Author Moderators Share Posted March 28, 2014 Day 28 M1 salmon with coconut spinach, 8:30 M2 short ribs and slaw, noon M3 lamb, veg, tabouleh, 5 Took the option to sleep in again this morning and got near 9 hours. I still don't feel wonderful or like bounding out of bed. It's going to take time. Time that I've got to give myself despite a stressful and hectic life. I think it's time to bring back meditation. I let go of that daily practice a couple weeks ago and I want it back. Went for a 3.5 mile run yesterday and it was fine. Not easy or hard, and I'm glad I went. Feeling pretty stiff in my lower back this morning. Definitely need to get out the foam roller. Might go for another run today. I'm way off my training schedule this week. Nine miles on tap for Saturday evening. Would be lovely if the sun would shine and temps rise above freezing. Today is the last day of spring break and I'm in mourning. I feel like I've accomplished nothing with these days. Priority today is cleaning house. Clearing my space will instantly make me feel better. And I had to reschedule my facial Wednesday, so I have that to look forward to at 3. OK. That's my plan! Not quite three days to go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjena Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 "giant delicious salad with crispy chicken, bacon, avocado, and beets, even though I had avocado with lunch" sounds delish! Sorry spring break is ending! I was sad when mine ended, too. You are so close to 30 days! On day 5, it seems so far way, but I know it will go quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators LadyM Posted March 28, 2014 Author Moderators Share Posted March 28, 2014 It has flown by! And the second time around has been so much easier than the first time. Must be reasonable expectations and increased level of mastery. I hope you find it that way, too, Jen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocoholic382 Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Almost done! Are you so excited? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators LadyM Posted March 28, 2014 Author Moderators Share Posted March 28, 2014 Hi Choc! Funny thing is I'm not. I mean, yes, I'm excited to discover how to ride my own bike again and to put my plan of off roading one day a week in place . . . but there's no charge around eating all kinds of noncompliant foods for me this time around. And there's no fear of the end of the structure. It's weird, but in a good way that suggests to me I'm really moving toward a Whole9 life. I wrote in another thread that the things I'm most looking forward to eating again are those formerly known as health foods: full fat organic plain yogurt, oatmeal, mung beans and brown rice. I'm also looking forward to having a drink with my dad after opening night a week from tonight! But I know I'll need to be careful about monitoring alcohol. That kind of socializing can really derail me. Hey, thanks for the opportunity to reflect a bit on this! How are you doing? Feeling OK about another two weeks? I'm pulling for you!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocoholic382 Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Good for you! It sounds like you're rocking this thing! It's so ironic that those "health foods" turned out to be not-so-perfect. Who'da thought? I think I'm doing OK. It's strange how much harder this one has been for me mentally even though I've felt 5x better physically than last time. I felt like crap most of Round 1 but I was practically high on my determination. Once I get past Day 30 I think I'll see the light at the end of the tunnel. You've been so great with all of your encouragement--truly more help than you realize. Thanks for being there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators LadyM Posted March 29, 2014 Author Moderators Share Posted March 29, 2014 Aww, Choc, you're so welcome. I'm delighted to know I've been helpful. The mental stuff is insidious, but you're doing great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators LadyM Posted March 29, 2014 Author Moderators Share Posted March 29, 2014 Day 29 Unbelievable! M1 eggs scrambled in WF2 better butter (omg so good!), black tea with lemon, 8:30 M2 WF2 cuban meatballs, belly dance beets, cauli tabouli, 1 preWO BP coffee, 3:30 postWP egg white (hb), 5:45 M3 last of the korean shortribs , asian slaw, 6:30 So many thoughts and feelings right now about this W30. Feeling good about myself for the way it's gone, feeling pretty good in general, and yet realizing there's a long road ahead. It's just a matter of commitment to myself and keeping my expectations in check. Some realizations: 1. I need more sleep. Period. 2. Endurance training probably isn't the best thing for my body. But I've committed to the half marathon in May and I will see it through. After that, I'm returning to burst training for my cardio. 3. I totally kick ass in the kitchen. I love to cook, experiment, and eat the real food fruits of my labor. It's a beautiful thing. 4. I will get and stay healthy. It will take persistence, patience, a little tough love, and a whole lot of self care. As long as I live I will be a work in progress. And I wouldn't have it any other way. 5. I love the 30-day challenge structure. My next 30-day challenge will be a daily meditation one followed by a daily writing one. Tomorrow is day 30, but I'm staying compliant until Friday night when I'll imbibe in a celebratory toast opening night. My plan is to stick to the template and stay compliant thereafter, except for one optional day a week for eating and drinking socially with friends sans worry and rules. Tomorrow is also an all-day tech rehearsal from noon to midnight. There will be lots of treats and catered food and all kinds of non-food annoyances to contend with. I will be fine, and I will eat my own food. Maybe I'll begin my meditation challenge tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators LadyM Posted March 30, 2014 Author Moderators Share Posted March 30, 2014 So grateful for my running buddy and a miraculous turn around in the weather. Only because of his good company and conversation did I make it through those nine miles in good humor. No pain to speak of, just tiredness. I'm glad he pushes me (and puts up with my slowness. Though we are keeping at a 10 min/mile pace which is pretty dang good for me!). Feeling pretty shot, but in a good way. Glad I'm doing this, all of it, even though because it's challenging. Looking forward to more cooking tomorrow and getting back in the bootcamp and running saddle next week. Took a look at my "before" pictures today, and though I'm not sure, I think my middle is whittled a bit. Debating whether or not I want to look at the scale Monday. Even though I haven't peeked, I've been getting weighed every Monday as part of the 8-week paleo fat loss clinic I'm doing through a local gym; and the scale also measures other things like fat and lean mass, etc., so I'm curious to find out if that actually provides more info than a straight-up scale. Don't know how accurate these contraptions are, but I trust the trainer, so I'm going with it. So glad she's on board with W30 and its idiosyncrasies. I believe I'll be sleeping very well tonight! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmary Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 Day 30, right? Congratulations I must say it's been really fun watching you on the second round. I see a lot of changes from the first time, and you seem to be loving life so much more. fantastic. On the "fat and lean mass" measuring scale, I wouldn't put too much stock in it at all. those things measure based on bioimpedance and, that number can be impacted in some of the same ways scale weight can; hydration, digestion (is there stuff still digesting?), bloat, etc. Also, it interprets the number based on your age and gender, so, if you imput "male, 30" on the thing and step on, you get better numbers. doesn't seem very scientific to me. That said, if you take measurements with such a scale regularly and in similar conditions, you might be able to see trends. I imagine this is your trainer's intent. I dunno. I've done bodpod twice now, which is supposed to be more accurate, and it did show improvement but not really anything I couldn't see without it. I'm still not considered a "healthy" body fat percentage, but honestly sometimes I wonder if it is just the boobs. kidding, kind of. but anyway: BRAVO on your whole30. on to the next! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators LadyM Posted March 30, 2014 Author Moderators Share Posted March 30, 2014 Thank you, MM. I really appreciate your comment, and it's true. I'm in a much different place than I was last time, and part of that is because of the ball that started rolling with my first W30. It starts with food, you know. . . . I think what I'll do is just keep weighing without looking for the second half of this paleo gym challenge I'm participating in. The data will be there if and when I want it, but for now, there's nothing really useful that can come of it. I don't see today as the end of my (second) Whole 30 as much as I see it as a continuation and evolution. I have no fear of ending the structure and I actually look forward to staying compliant on a day-to-day basis save one day a week. I must admit that today I started thinking about adding stevia to my tea. Then I stopped myself and asked why. Do I need that sweet taste? Will it make me healthier? Why do I think I want it? This is a very useful practice. And knowing how sensitive I am to sweet tastes, I've decided there's no reason to have the hyper sweetness on a daily basis. Pretty cool. OK. Just on a quick break from tech rehearsal. I'll BBL to post meals. xo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators LadyM Posted March 31, 2014 Author Moderators Share Posted March 31, 2014 Day 30! M1 lamb, veg, cauli tabouleh, 6:30 M2 chicken lettuce tacos with guac and carrots, 11:30 M3 meatballs, salmon cake, green beans, cabbage, 5:45 So many food choices available in my fridge it's almost unnerving. I opted out of a cast dinner tonight to eat my own food at home. It was an extra good choice because I got in two little walks in the warm sunshine, to boot! Got released earlier than expected from rehearsal, so I'm going to stop now and take advantage of the extra zzzzzs. Bootcamp in the morning, maybe a run, and then back to work. Stressful week ahead. Glad I'm sticking with W30 to help support me through it! Tomorrow will be day 31. . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators LadyM Posted March 31, 2014 Author Moderators Share Posted March 31, 2014 Day 31 M1 thai meatballs, roast cabbage, 7:45 M2 cuban meatballs with lizard sauce, coconut almond green beans (super combo, btw), 1:45 M3 wf2 nan king chicken (mmmmmmgood), 5:45 Good workout this morning and chat with the trainer. I did not look at the scale, though the trainer did say several times that I seem to be doing everything right. I've decided not to look at the scale until the 8 week challenge is up--if at all. This morning I put on a pair of athleta workout pants that have always given me terrible muffin top for the first time in a couple months and there's way less muffin top. I caught a glimpse of my body in the mirror at bootcamp and didn't realize it was me. My body is changing. Slowly but surely. So I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing and other than that try not to pay too much attention to how things look or what the numbers say. My ability to cue into how I genuinely feel is contingent on it. The trainer and I also had a good chat about starchy carbs and how I need not be afraid of them. Fat adaption isn't all or nothing once you achieve it, she said, and I need to play with my "carb tipping point." She told a story about her own self experimentation and focus on fats, animal protein, and only non-starchy veg that actually worsened her adrenal fatigue. So, I'm giving this some thought, especially as I increase my running mileage and enter three weeks of adrenaline-inducing theater performances. My minimal starches may also be part of my feeling of exhaustion, methinks. After bootcamp and my 3-miler this morning, I was tempted to drink a whey protein shake (the trainer is very keen on clean ones for muscle recovery) but I decided I just don't want to bring in all that sweetness. The one I've used in the past is very clean and uses stevia as a sweetener; but again, hyper sweet tastes and my body do not get along, regardless of the source. Plus I don't want the added unknown and potential stress of reintros this week. So, I'll keep on W30ing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocoholic382 Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Congratulations on your completion! Excited to see you'll be continuing on for a while! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beets Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Lady M! You are here! Yay. I'm starting again tomorrow. I will catch up but it's nice to see your avatar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators LadyM Posted March 31, 2014 Author Moderators Share Posted March 31, 2014 Thanks, Choc! BEEEEETS!!! I was just thinking of you today when making beet kvass. So happy you're back, too! This time around was SO MUCH easier for me. I hope it's that way for you, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjena Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Congrats on making 30 days!!!! I love your thoughts on waiting to see the numbers. If you feel good, keep on doing what's working and let the numbers be whatever they'll be. I need to get to that place, too. Maybe this W30 round? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators LadyM Posted April 1, 2014 Author Moderators Share Posted April 1, 2014 Day 32 M1 eggs scrambled in better butter, roast cabbage, kraut 7:45 M2 chicken lettuce wraps with guac, noon M3 chicken nan king, 5 Rough rehearsal for me last night. Dropped lines and missed cues all over. Just had an off night, I guess. Hope that's behind me. Anxious related thoughts had me up early, though, with not great sleep. I start teaching a new term today, too. So glad I decided to go to yoga this morning. Feeling mentally reset. Onward! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beets Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 Hey. You sound great. I like the idea of a post-30 funday. For me I'd have to be careful about my trigger foods but I do agree that eating something verboten seems to jump start the metabolism. Quick question though, as I catch up on yor log, what is your gingery stew? Sounds delicious and I want to eat soups as much as I can before it gets too warm. (Some soups are year round. But not all.) I googled and found Mark Bittman, Bon Appetit and others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beets Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 And congrats. I loved your description of this w30 v the last one with gritted teeth. I feel the same, now, but I'm only one day in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators LadyM Posted April 2, 2014 Author Moderators Share Posted April 2, 2014 Thank you, dear Beets! I'm thinking that my weekly optional funday will be flexible, especially when it comes to cocktails, but I will still avoid gluten and soy, the two things I know cause a reaction. I mean, sugar and alcohol have terrible effects, but I'm thinking that I can trust myself to just get back to the template, no harm done. We shall see. Here's the gingery chicken stew. You got it right: Bittman! I used coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, of course, and substituted a chopped fresh fennel bulb for the star anise, which I didn't have and don't like. I think I also threw in a bunch of chopped cabbage, because greens. You know. I can hardly ever make a recipe straight. I really loved how it turned out. Very tasty yet mild enough for breakfast. A proper one-pot meal. Such things especially appease the German in me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmary Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 I'm thinking that my weekly optional funday will be flexible, What is this weekly "funday" of which you speak? Shall I rain on your parade? For me, the idea of a weekly funday would lead to me feeling almost obligated to go off plan, even if I might have gone 10 days or a couple weeks or a month without the urge. The idea that I can have "fun" when it is "worth it" works better for me: sometimes this happens once a month (or less!), sometimes several times in the same week, but each time I evaluate it on it's own without the math of 80:20 or 1:7 or what have you. Just a thought for you to consider...of course if your social life is so intense and fabulous that "worth it" would happen several times each and every week, then I could see choosing to limit it to only one as a personal rule Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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