W30 at 8750

[mokiki]

Today marks Day 1 of my Whole30 Journey!

 

I've never been overweight in my life, but I have constantly yo-yoed over the past 7-8 years. I'm either counting every single calorie that I consume and working out 3 times/day until I reach my goal weight, or I'm on a total free-for-all, eating and drinking everything in sight and living a fairly sedentary lifestyle. More often than not, it's the latter. Now, I'm getting pretty close to my heaviest weight, needing to go up in size in clothes, and ready to make a serious change! I don't want this one to be like the others... I don't want to drop the weight, keep it off for a week, then gain it all back (and then some) until I diet again next year. I want to make a serious lifestyle change that will STICK.

 

On top of starting Whole30, I am also starting my half marathon training next week (for a race on Oct 19). Once that begins, I will follow my training program with distance and speed runs, cross training days, and rest days. In the meantime, I'm just going to make sure that I move my body every day. Today will be an afternoon hike and an evening of SUP boarding.

 

I'm also going to be very conscious of where all my meat and eggs come from. I'll use the local farmers market and CSA as much as I possibly can, and do my research if I go out to eat. My husband works for a food distribution service, so he is a great resource when it comes to knowing where exactly restaurants are getting their food.

 

Here we go! I've included my starting measurements below, and will make a point to NOT STEP ON THE SCALE until my 30 days are up. That will be a challenge in itself! 

 

WEIGHT: 115 lbs

WAIST: 26"

HIPS: 34"

THIGH: 21"

BICEP: 10.25"

CHEST: 31.5"

[Kmlynne]

welcome to w30!

[mokiki]

On to Day 2!!! 

 

Yesterday I came to the realization that whenever we cook at home, this Whole30 thing is actually going to be fun. We're experimenting with new ingredients and cooking methods, and making some really tasty dishes. For dinner last night, we had a steak with sauteed carrots and bok choy. So delicious!

 

Going out, on the other hand, is going to prove a lot more difficult. I thought about all my favorite restaurants and how to order.... finding something with no grains, dairy, soy, or added sugar is going to be nearly impossible! Even my go-to salads have sugar in the dressings. On the bright side, we've been eating out entirely too much lately, so this challenge will definitely have me cooking at home much more often.

 

I'm feeling good today. No "hangover" to speak of (yet). I'm not really sure how to tackle breakfast and lunch, since our groceries don't come in until this evening, so I may just have to get a larabar and eat all my leftover cherries for breakfast! We also made a huge batch of apple sauce (only ingredients were apples and cinnamon) in the crock pot, and that's perfect for snacking. I have some kale and celery that needs to get used today, so hopefully I can make some sort of salad out of that for lunch.

 

I'm going to try to stay in the habit of writing in this log every morning, and to include some sort of "win" from the day before, to keep myself motivated. I know this is going to get harder, so focusing on the positives is really important for me.

 

Day 1 Win: Stand Up Paddle boarded for the first time ever on a beautiful lake, and turned down an ice cold beer... twice!

[mokiki]

Chuggin along... Day 3!

 

The "hangover" definitely kicked in yesterday. I started to get a headache late in the morning, and I still have it now. I actually woke up thinking that I drank too much last night... oh wait, I only had water! I am doing my best not to take any meds, and just drinking tons of water. Hopefully I can power through! 

 

I'm not sure what's going on with me, but around 3pm every day, I start to get horribly lightheaded, almost like vertigo. This started before I started the Whole30, so I don't think it's to blame... My office gets extremely hot in the afternoons, so I'm wondering if that is the issue. Usually it goes away by the time I go home, but last night it stayed with me, and I wasn't able to find the motivation to exercise. Hopefully it works itself out soon.

 

Yesterday was a good day of eating. I never felt hungry at all, and really enjoyed every meal. I snacked on cherries throughout the day, made tuna salad for lunch with cucumber chips, and tried a new recipe for dinner... Kenyan Collard Greens w/ Ground Beef (from the Domestic Man blog: http://thedomesticman.com/2013/07/02/sukuma-wiki-kenyan-braised-collard-greens-and-ground-beef/). I didn't have any collards, but TONS of kale, so I substituted that and it was delicious. I planned on having leftovers for lunch today... but the husband ate every last bite. So there goes that idea.

 

I was also in the mood for a cocktail last night... Not necessarily for the alcohol, just kind of the habit of winding down after a long day (especially considering I drank TONS of water throughout the day, and just didn't want another sip). So, we made some sparkling water in the soda stream, added lemon and lime juice, and a splash of organic grape juice (no ingredients other than grapes and water). I went all out, put it in a pretty glass, and garnished it with lemon and lime slices. It definitely fixed that craving! I sipped on it while fixing supper and felt just like I was having a fancy cocktail.

 

Day 2 Win: A coworker brought donuts to work, and I wasn't even interested!

[mokiki]

Day 4! 

 

Yesterday went well. Ate clean all day, went for a hike at lunch, and didn't feel light headed at all in the afternoon. It was a rainy day, so I'm thinking the heat really has been the cause of it.

 

The Farmers Market is today, so I'm excited to go pick out some tasty produce! I realized on the first day that a dozen eggs/week was absolutely not going to cut it, so I'll definitely be picking some up today.

 

Not really any side effects to speak of as of now... the headache went away yesterday morning, and I'm feeling good today. I got a great night's sleep last night. 

 

Day 3 Win: Had my first real temptation last night... Girls Night. There were about 7 bottles (and 1 box) of wine, cheese, crackers, chocolate covered cherries, and not to mention the actual meal, none of which was W30-Friendly. Fortunately we didn't get together until later in the evening, so I cooked dinner at home (http://paleocomfortfoods.com/recipes/chicken-thighs-with-peppery-pesto/) and made sure I wasn't hungry at all when I arrived. I drank lots and lots of water while I was there and wasn't even interested in all of those treats! Sure, some of the games weren't as funny for me after my friends had been sipping on wine for 3 hours, but it was still fun, and it felt good to know that my social life doesn't have to suffer during the W30. Big win!

[Badwolf]

I love that you have exclamation points after each of your Days.  It shows that you're excited!  heehee  

[mokiki]

I love that you have exclamation points after each of your Days.  It shows that you're excited!  heehee  

 

Haha, I am very excited! I've never had this much willpower, ever!

[mokiki]

Finally the weekend... and Day 5!

 

I have a little bit of a headache again this morning. Otherwise, I'm sleeping well and feeling pretty normal.

 

Yesterday was extremely hectic and stressful, so I was especially glad to get through it without any slip-ups. I also had my first restaurant experience on the Whole30! It definitely wasn't easy, but I made it work. My husband has been semi-participating with me all week (he's still having milk in his coffee, but is following otherwise), so I gave him the OK to "cheat" last night. I sat next to him while he had a jalapeno popper burger (bun and all), french fries, 2 beers, and a margarita. He went all out! I, on the other hand, had a hamburger patty with a side salad (no dressing), and a club soda with lime. I'll admit I felt a little embarrassed to take the bun off my burger in public, like "that girl," but I was plenty satisfied without it.

 

It was such a nice summer night that I wanted to take the dogs for a walk after dinner. We only made it a few blocks because the husband was so uncomfortable and tired after his great big meal -- and I felt great! Immediate plus for the Whole30! 

 

Day 4 Win: We had a few personal victories yesterday, and normally my response is to go out for a celebratory drink (especially on a Friday). Not only did I choose club soda over champagne, but I didn't feel deprived at all! 

[mokiki]

On to Week 2... Day 8! 

 

I wasn't able to write on Day 6, and my Day 7 never posted for some reason, so here are my wins from the past few days:

 

Day 5 Win: Ran my most comfortable 4 miles ever... no cramping and kept a consistent speed the entire time.

 

Day 6 Win: Climbed the most difficult mountain I've ever attempted (Wilson Peak) and successfully made it to the summit! I cheated slightly on the W30 by partaking in the traditional "cracking of the summit beers," but I only drank a few sips, and burned far more calories than I consumed that day. That instance was the one and only exception that I said I'd allow myself when I started this. I know that technically I should be starting over, but I'm giving myself this one pass.

 

Now onto my current post...

 

This first week has really breezed by! I have been faced with a few temptations, but haven't at any point been overwhelmed with cravings. Even my habit of snacking after dinner has been totally done away with.. it doesn't even cross my mind. I'm already considering turning the W30 into the W60! Here are a few of the improvements that I've seen so far:

 

- Clearer skin. I actually woke up this morning with NO new breakouts, which is incredibly rare for me, especially at this point in the month. Even my chest and back are remaining clear!

 

- More energy. My runs are going better, and afternoon slumps are becoming a thing of the past.

 

- Unexpected improvement: my dry, cracked heels are becoming smoother! This has been a huge issue for me for so long, and I've always blamed it on dry Colorado air paired with an active lifestyle... but in the past week, it's all slowly going away. This. Is. Amazing.

 

- Less bloat. I'm not sure if I'm losing weight, but I do know that I'm not having to put on looser clothes at the end of the day to hide my bloatiness. Awesome!

 

I love that I'm already seeing changes after only a week, and can't wait to see how the next 3 weeks go!

 

Day 7 Win: I've realized that I'm doing a lot of snacking (mostly with fruit), and was able to go the whole day yesterday without a single snack, just 3 meals, and wasn't hungry between!

[mokiki]

Day 9!

 

All's well that continues to go well....

 

I'm feeling pretty great. Getting a lot of sleep, and waking up to my alarm clock without the urge to hit snooze. I took a yoga class this morning which really helped heal my muscles from our climb on Sunday... I may even go for a run tonight!

 

Sweet potatoes and hard boiled eggs are definitely my best friends right now. 

 

Day 8 Win: Starting to really find motivation to get a lot done around the house and at work. I attribute the structure of the W30 for bringing structure into all aspects of my life! 

[mokiki]

On to Day 10!

 

I'm finding that I have less and less to write about now. The W30 is starting to feel normal, which is great. I'm really appreciating the structure of the diet as well as the structure of my running training... I needed some serious discipline in my life! 

 

I have a feeling my challenge of today (besides my first speed workout - ouch) is going to be keeping moderation in my fruit intake. I have a bowl full of fresh Palisade peaches and I can't wait to dive in!

 

Day 9 Win: Met some friends for a drink after work, ate beforehand, and sat there sipping club soda while surrounded by pitchers of ice cold beer and deliciously smelling greasy burgers covered in melted gooey cheese.

[mokiki]

Day 11: TGIF!

 

I decided that now that I'm sleeping so much better (and going to bed earlier) I should start getting up half an hour earlier, and I am so happy with that decision! Now, instead of getting up at 6 (which means getting out of bed at 6:15), putting my clothes on and going, I'm enjoying my coffee and Pre WO meal, catching up on some emails, and trying not to start my day in a big rush.

 

Today is the first day that I'm attempting to drink coffee before a run (I read a few days ago that it can be helpful), so we'll see how it goes. Today calls for 2 miles at an easy pace, followed by 1 mile at a faster pace. I'm not generally very good about finishing strong, but I'm hoping I can push through! 

 

I realized that I did a little too much snacking yesterday, so my focus for today is to make my 3 meals count, and to not snack between.

 

Day 10 Win: Finally making some serious headway on getting this house in order. Counting on my newfound motivation to FINISH IT this weekend! 

[mokiki]

Day 12... Sort of 

 

Yesterday started so strong and continued strong until it all hit the fan.

 

I hit my first hurdle when my boss emailed me to say that he and I would be leaving work early to go to the spirits tasting at the Jazz Festival in town (where many of our clients would be). For some reason I wasn't comfortable at all saying that I wasn't drinking (maybe I didn't want him to assume I was pregnant?), and this wasn't a place where club soda, or any other "cover up drink" was an option. So, I did the best thing I could think of... ordered a shot of tequila, which is my least favorite liquor, so I could just hold on to it knowing I wouldn't be tempted take a sip. I did put it to my lips at a certain point when people were asking me which tequila I ordered and how it tasted (that was the point of the tasting, after all), but I didn't even get enough to call it a "sip." Great success, right?

 

After the tasting, my husband said he wasn't in the mood to cook, and wanted to go to one of his clients' restaurants for dinner. This restaurant is probably my favorite in town, mostly for the delicious cocktails, but they also have an awesome "small bites" menu that is mostly proteins or vegetables, and therefore actually VERY easy to make it work with the W30. I was able to skip my favorite cocktail with no problems at all, ordered a prawn lettuce wrap and a pork belly skewer, and we split a big ole bowl of mussels. It was all W30 compliant and absolutely delicious! It was a really busy night at the restaurant and there were people at the standing table waiting for our seats, so as soon as we finished eating, we waved down a waiter to pay our bill so we could free up our space.

 

That's when it happened. 

 

We paid our bill and were putting our jackets on when the owner came up to us and said, "Wait wait wait you guys, [the chef] is preparing a special dessert that he wants you to try, please just hold on one second!"

 

This is the problem with being married to the food purveyor in town.

 

If this was a dessert that my husband had ordered for himself, it wouldn't have been a problem at all. I would have sat right there and watched him eat it, asked how it was, and would have been fine. But that wasn't the case.

 

This wasn't an ordinary dessert... this is a special dessert that the chef had just created for the very first time, and he really, truly, wanted our opinions on it. 

 

It was Sour Cream Gelato topped with fresh berries and honey. Not a bit of it was W30 compliant. 

 

I know that it is so easy to say "just tell them that you're on a special diet and can't have it, bla bla bla," but I just couldn't do that. This incredibly talented chef was standing there, excitedly watching me try this special treat that he'd made just for us.

 

At first I thought I'd be sneaky about it and try to just eat a few berries, because a drizzle of honey was certainly the lesser of 2 evils in this case, but that just wasn't possible. I also had a few bites of the gelato.

 

The verdict? It was absolutely, completely delicious. 

 

So, at this point, there's no doubt about it that I should be starting from Day 1 today. However... I planned this Whole30 so that I would be done when my parents came to visit, so I would be able to enjoy a dinner out or a glass of wine with them, and I know that I won't be 100% compliant when they're here, even if I'm still on the W30. So, instead of starting over, I'm going to keep on truckin. I'm going to complete the W30 to the best of my ability until they arrive, have a few little indulgences if I want to while they're here, then probably start over from Day 1 once they leave.

 

I just know that starting from Day 1 today will completely hinder my progress... I know myself too well. And I've come too far and seen too many improvements to let myself fail now. So instead I'm going to pick myself up, brush the gelato guilt off, and finish these next 18 days off strong, knowing that the end of those 18 days won't be the end of my W30 journey. 

 

 

Even with the gelato mishap, I do have a great big win from Day 11: For the first time ever, I ran my last mile FASTER than my first. And felt amazing!

[Kmlynne]

Sometimes life does just throw us a curve ball.  The good thing is that you are "picking yourself up, brushing off the gelato guilt, and finishing these next 18 days off strong".  

 

Congrats on your big win!!!!

[mokiki]

Moving along to Day 13!

 

Yesterday was so much better than the crash-and-burn of Day 11. We spent the day in the Jazz Festival, found some delicious festival food that I could actually eat (lamb lollipops... the spice rub was just coffee, cumin, and cinnamon), and had plenty of fresh fruits and nuts on hand for snacking, as well as plenty of sparkling water so I could have something in my hand that wasn't plain old still water! 

 

I finished my first week of half marathon training strong, which felt great. Today is a much-appreciated rest day, and I'm excited to get back at it tomorrow! 

 

Day 12 Win: I was able to wear a strapless dress for the first time in AGES to the festival, because my chest and back aren't breaking out!!! 

 

Special note: I noticed 3 zits on my face yesterday, for the first time in over a week. Perhaps it was the dairy from the night before....

[mokiki]

Halfway Point -- Day 15!

 

I can't believe how fast this is moving along. Everything is really becoming second nature, and making the right food choices is becoming easier and easier.

 

Now that we’re halfway through, here are all the improvements I’ve noticed thus far:

 

-      clearer skin, with the exception of a few breakouts immediately after I cheated with some dairy (coincidence?)

-       using less lotion and moisturizer

-       healthier hair!

-       dry, cracked heels are nearly healed

-       clothes are fitting better, feeling leaner overall

-       more energy and motivation – especially with running

-       better mood, less stress and anxiety

-       much better sleep

 

Our dinners have been especially delicious since we started the W30. Last night, we decided to try some ground goat meat that I picked up from the farmers market. We cooked it off with carrots, onions, celery, and some ancho chiles, wrapped up spoonfuls of it in some romaine lettuce, and topped it with fresh salsa. Goat tacos!  They were amazing and really fun to create together – much better than going out for a burger (which I’m sure we would have done if we weren’t on the W30).

 

Day 14 Win: accomplished my first “hill” run… it wasn’t perfect, but it also wasn’t terrible!

[mokiki]

Day 16: Happy Hump Day!

 

It's currently 6:35am and I've already been up for an hour, had my coffee and my pre WO meal (hard boiled egg and a sweet potato), prepped the cooler for our grocery delivery today, took out the trash, and got dressed and ready for my 7:15 yoga class! Gotta love feeling so accomplished so early in the day.

 

Yesterday was a day filled with good eating. Breakfast was a turkey "epic bar" with a peach (was in a big hurry), lunch was leftover ground goat with bok choy, and dinner was absolutely amazing. Mushroom season is finally here, so my husband spent yesterday afternoon in his favorite mushroom spot, and came home with a huge bag of boletes. We sauteed those with some squash and zucchini, ghee, lemon, and tons of parsley, and had it alongside some goat and pork sausages. Best meal I've had in a while! And every bit of it, down to the butter, was local. I never want summer to end! 

 

Day 15 Win: I woke up to pouring rain, but couldn't bear the thought of skipping my run (it was my longest run yet, plus a speed workout, so I was excited to try), so the dog and I went anyway! We actually had a ton of fun running in the rain, and our performance reflected that. My average mile/minute number is getting lower and lower!

[mokiki]

Day 17!

 

My yoga class yesterday morning was such a great way to start the day. I want to continue going each week, but it sure does get expensive...

 

I was able to get through the day without a single snack, so that was great! I'm really learning how to eat when I'm hungry, instead of when I'm bored (and being able to tell the difference). For dinner last night, my husband had a soccer game, so I made myself a turkey burger over a big salad and sweet potato "fries" (baked). I could defintely see how the sweet potatoes could have turned into "food without brakes".... I only made a small portion for myself, and I know that had there been more, I would have munched on them all night long... Instead I finished the meal off with a big juicy peach and that was that

 

After the soccer game, a bunch of friends wanted to go to my favorite sushi restaurant, so I tagged along... I didn't order anything (other than club soda with lime) since I had already eaten, but I did figure out that I could have sashimi and a couple other small items off the menu if I came back for dinner. The husband ordered my favorite -- salmon poke with wonton chips -- and I SO wanted some, but I didn't go for it. 

 

Day 16 Win: At dinner, a friend out of nowhere just said "Wow, you look incredible!" She went on to tell me that I looked so healthy and glowing and that she wanted to be doing whatever I was doing. Thank you, W30!!!

 

Note: I have two large breakouts on my right cheek, near the corner of my mouth. It's not a place I typically break out, so I hope I can figure out the cause!

[mokiki]

Day 19 -- Finally the weekend!

 

I've just been cruising along the past few days. Training is going well. I did another 5 miles yesterday and shaved a few seconds off from Tuesday, so it's good to see those small improvements. I have the whole weekend off from running, so the plan is just to use all that energy to finish setting up our house (and maybe get a bike ride in)!

 

My breakouts on my right cheek are healing, but now I have an enormous matching one on my left cheek. I'm doing my best not to mess with it and hoping it just goes away! Other than that, I can definitely tell that the skin on my face is smoother overall -- all the little bumps that were always there have disappeared. 

 

We went out to dinner last night, and I planned on having my go-to burger no bun, but realized that there was a completely, 100% Whole30 compliant entree on the menu! It was shrimp and butternut squash curry lettuce wraps. I double checked with our server (who was actually a friend of ours, so I wasn't afraid of coming off like a total weirdo) that there wasn't any hidden dairy or sugar, and he confirmed. I was so excited! Being able to eat out, choose something delicious, and not have to make a single substitution is something that I would not have thought possible on W30. The food was absolutely fantastic, and there was enough of it to bring home for another meal. 

 

I've been thinking a lot lately about life after W30, and how I'm going to manage it. I can't decide if I want to do another 100% Whole30 in September, or if that would be setting myself up for failure (Blues and Brews festival, sister-in-law's wedding). I'm glad there are so many resources out there so I can do plenty of research and find out which post-W30 life will be right for me! Can't believe I only have 11 days to go...

 

Day 18 Win: Putting the final touches on our house, and it's finally really feeling like our home!

[mokiki]

Really feeling like I'm in the final stretch. Day 21!

 

The weekend was successful. Stayed on track with the W30, accomplished a ton at the house, did some mushroom hunting (more boletes!) and was able to really relax. My skin is also all cleared up now, so I feel great! 

 

My run this morning felt awesome. It was just my typical 3 mile maintenance run (2 miles easy, last mile fast), and my average mile time dropped by nearly a full minute. We'll see how tomorrow's 5 mile speed run goes... I've never done a progression run, so I'm anxious to see how I do! 

 

Day 20 Win: Went to a birthday party, and was surrounded by delicious-looking treats. A HUGE pasta casserole that was cheesy and gooey, cupcakes, beer.... And I had no problem at all sticking with the program. I brought bacon-wrapped sweet potatoes and a mason jar of cucumbers, mint, and lime so it looked like I was having a mojito. I did have a little too much fruit, but if that was my biggest problem yesterday, I'm ok with that. Cutting back on fruit for the next few days!

[mokiki]

On to Day 23! Just ONE MORE WEEK to go! 

 

(I have to admit I'm a little worried about "riding my own bike")

 

My first progression run went well yesterday! I did my first 2 miles easy, increased the pace as I went on the next 2 miles, and the final mile was a light cool down. I didn't pick up the pace enough on my 3rd mile, but did awesome on the 4th! I nearly beat my PR for fastest mile, so that will be my focus for my maintenance run on Friday. I also have been having to walk a bit lately, and especially would have walked during my cool down if I did this run last week -- but I felt great at an easy jog instead. Everything is starting to come more easily, which is awesome! 

 

This morning I woke up just before 5am, completely wide awake (I usually get up by alarm at 5:30). I just hopped right out of bed and enjoyed the extra half hour of my morning! 

 

Day 22 Win: Cut back on snacking, especially on fruit, and starting to work on portion control (I'm realizing I'm eating way more than I need to). Putting all of my focus into finishing strong for this final week! 

[mokiki]

Finally Friday -- Day 25! 

 

I haven't been sleeping very well lately. Getting up in the morning is still easier than before, but I've been waking up a lot in the middle of the night. Hopefully I can take this weekend to recharge and start next week on a better track.

 

Tonight is an event that I've been nervous about since the start of W30 -- a Top Chef competition/tasting fundraiser for my favorite nonprofit. It's such a fun event and I'm excited for an excuse to get dressed up, but I will be completely surrounded by free wine and delicious food! Fortunately a good friend will be pouring drinks, and she's said that she'll come up with a delicious compliant "mocktail" for me. I just hope that there will be some sort of food that I can eat so I won't be tempted to make a bad choice! 

 

Off to attempt to beat my 5K PR.... Here's hoping!

 

Day 24 Win: Thanks to the smell of pizza at lunchtime (when I was starving), I was completely overcome with a gooey melted cheese craving! All I could think about was a greasy burger with tons of cheese. Instead I made a delicious tuna salad with caremlized onions and crispy, salty okra fries... and felt great.

[mokiki]

The finish line is within my reach! Day 27!

 

The past couple days have gone well. I came really close to beating my PR for the 5K, but it didn't happen. Maybe next week. I also had my longest run yet and felt great! I've officially finished Week 3 of half marathon training, and next week I go up to running 5 days/week rather than 4.... a little intimidating! 

 

Top Chef was fun, but there were only 2 "small bite" tastings that I could have, so I left really hungry. I wasn't tempted by any of the other food though, so that's great! My issue actually came yesterday, when I met up with some friends for lunch. I wasn't incredibly hungry, so I just ordered a new appetizer on the menu: squash fries with chimichurri sauce. I made the mistake of assuming that it was like their sweet potato fries (baked), and was SUPER disappointed when they arrived. Not only were they fried, they were breaded! It was my fault that I didn't ask. I didn't want to be rude and send them back, so I munched on a few that didn't have much breading (some of them didn't have any at all) and brought the rest home for the husband to have. Oh well. 

 

Day 26 Win: Spent the afternoon mushroom hunting and found my first ever chanterelles! We made a delicious meal of chicken drumsticks, green salad, and kale & chanterelles for some friends. BEST Whole30 meal yet!

[mokiki]

I can't believe it.... DAY 30!!!

 

This has been such an awesome and different experience for me, and I'm excited to start my postW30 life tomorrow. My plan is to have a glass of (really good) red wine and a few tastes of aged cheese tomorrow afternoon, then back to W30 100% on Friday and Saturday. I'll work on what I'd like to reintroduce next for Sunday. To help me decide:

 

Sugar: My sweet tooth has been basically cured, so I haven't had any horrible urges for dessert. I'll probably save that for special occasions only. I do enjoy looking at labels and how much I've learned by doing so, and will still be careful about added sugar, but I'll relax on it when it comes to going out to eat. If I do ever have a serious sugar craving, I plan to try some paleo baking recipes!

 

Alcohol: I've really enjoyed taking a break from drinking, and have learned how much mindless/bored drinking I was really doing. I'm going to avoid beer for the most part (except at the finish line of my half marathon in October), as well as sugary cocktails, and will simply enjoy a glass of good wine when I really, truly want it. Otherwise I'll stick to my club soda cocktails! 

 

Grains: I'll admit that I've been tempted by a few toasty, buttery buns that I've taken off my burgers, but when I really think about how I feel after I eat them, it just isn't worth it for me. However, I do want to reintroduce corn. The occasional corn on the cob (when it's fresh and in season, like right now), a popcorn snack, and corn tortilla from time to time would be awesome. I have also had some serious pasta cravings, but I'll try to satisfy those with spaghetti squash and zoodles whenever I can! I have not missed rice, quinoa, etc. and do not plan to reintroduce them.

 

Legumes: I also don't miss these for the most part. Almond butter is more delicious than peanut butter, hummus can be made with so much more than chick peas, and the rest of the beans just don't play a huge part in my life. I don't plan to reintroduce those. However, adding soy back into my diet in small doses will make a large difference when it comes to enjoying some of my favorite foods, so I'll probably reintroduce that just for dining out purposes.

 

Dairy: Tough one. I'm sure I'll have some ice cream one of these days, but I really haven't been craving it, so it's not something I plan to reintroduce soon. All I've missed is cheese, which I absolutely love, and plan to enjoy on occasion ONLY when I'm enjoying the actual cheese itself, and not just as an ingredient in a meal. I want it to be the star of the show if I'm going to have it.

 

One small note: Pizza. I've had some serious melty cheesy greasy bready cravings over the past 30 days. Pizza is something that I'm going to have again one of these days.... but not anytime soon. 

 

RESULTS:

 

WEIGHT: 115 lbs to 107 lbs

WAIST: 26" to 24"

HIPS: 34" to 33"

THIGH: 21" to 20"

BICEP: 10.25" to 9.5"

CHEST: 31.5" to 30.5"

 

OTHER RESULTS: clearer skin, better sleep, more energy, faster runs, smoother heels, less bloat (and a flatter tummy), better mood, and a better overall understanding of my food.

 

One more day to go, then tomorrow I attempt to ride my own bike! Wish me luck!

[mokiki]

Welp, here we go: Whole30 #2, Day 1!

 

This time, I'm making it a Whole45.

 

I fell off the wagon in a really big way, and lost every single benefit that I gained from my first Whole30. I'm ready to get back on track and back to tiger blood. Here we go!