agk Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 Hi everyone! I am starting the Whole 30 on April 23rd. I think my husband may be joining me (he is "going paleo" regardless). We have both just started CrossFit. A bit about me: I am a law student and sometimes runner. I'm one of those people who has read everything about health and fitness, knows how to cook, knows how to buy vegetables, knows how much junk is hidden in processed foods, knows how to prepare healthy foods on the go if you actually do the work, knows how to exercise... etc. But I lack consistency and discipline and am an emotional eater. The strictness of NO cheats for a month does scare me, but that's probably why Whole 30 will be good for me. I've failed miserably at "no cheats" diets before, of the low carb variety, and feel like Whole 30 will be good for me because it is NOT necessarily low carb. Sweet potatoes, fruits, etc. to fuel workouts are ok. And as a law student taking exams, I can have my cup of coffee when I'm up late studying. I can even put a nice dollop of clarified butter and good shake of salt on my vegetables if I'm craving that. OH! I only eat fish and eggs, no red or white meat. Scallops, salmon, tilapia, shrimp ... no problem getting in the animal protein. At first I was very skeptical about paleo because I'm skeptical of anything that claims that one food group is poisoning you. I've had friends go vegan - and trot out research backed by PhDs and doctors from Harvard - and claim it is the only way to health. Same thing with low carb. I'm not sure what our ancestors ate and when what they ate stopped being good (or if it was good) and I'm not convinced grains are the devil. BUT - don't hit me yet! - it's hard to argue that quality lean protein and fruits and veggies are GREAT for you and highly processed junk crammed with sugar is bad for you. And processed junk, bread, pasta, alcohol, sugar are usually my downfall. So rather than ditching paleo because of skepticism about some of its premises I'll focus on the good, especially the good that seems to allow a range of foods from all of the macronutrient groups to satisfy the needs of someone training intensely in something like CrossFit. It's hard to "diet" and fuel your body for athletic feats, and I'm already convinced Paleo is pretty great for that. You're getting a lot of nutrient and protein bang for your caloric buck. And, before I start to justify "Well, a little oatmeal in the mornings or the occasional piece of cake..." I need to acknowledge that attempting moderation hasn't led me to accomplish my goals thus far. So let's do this! What ARE my goals? -Feeling energized and having long term good health against heart disease, cancer, etc. to be sure -Losing body fat for both fitness goals and vanity -I currently weight 169 lbs. at 5'2" and have 30% body fat. I want to lose 20 lbs. or more long term and be closer to 20% body fat. My fitness goals are to excel at CrossFit, be able to lift a lot of weight relative to my size, and eventually get back into FAST running. I have run a marathon and done back to back century rides on a road bike and know that being lighter will make these things a lot more satisfying. And I want to look good in a bikini! I'm putting the scale away and starting Whole 30 tomorrow. I've already thought through some of my concerns, such as replacing my post-workout shake of lowfat milk/Greek yogurt/fruit/whey protein powder with a hard-boiled egg and fruit/coconut milk mix. I'll need to eat more seafood than I am eating now to keep my protein up. Dairy has definitely been a crutch. There's not much on my life plate in the next few weeks except locking myself in my apartment to study for finals (which actually makes food prep/eating pretty easy) and then a few vacation days too! While I admire anyone who can keep this up through things like weddings, big trips, starting at a new job, etc. and resist some of our culture's food/social bonds, I'm grateful that the next few weeks are a GOOD time to start the Whole 30. In addition to feeling great and having more control over what I eat, the numbers I hope to see change in a month are: -Waist 34" -Weight 169 lbs. Off to buy some ghee at the Indian market near my apartment! Thanks everyone! AGK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TiJa Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 I can already tell you are going to be a great lawyer! I wish you much success! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeanye Mercer Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Best of luck! Let us know how we can support and help you along the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaseyD Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 I've been vegetarian, then vegan, and now paleo. I think the best way to tell if a diet works is to try it. It is night and day for me. I don't have to read medical journals to be convinced by the science when I can feel and see the results. I think the best convincing is after you've cleaned out your system with a Whole30, try eating wheat or sugar to see just how it makes you feel. I hope you have a good experience with this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agk Posted April 23, 2012 Author Share Posted April 23, 2012 Thanks for the encouragement everyone! @ Casey Dean, adding fish back into my diet (after almost 20 years as a veggie) was a big change a few years ago and as far as I'm comfortable going with animal protein for personal/philosophical reasons, but I totally agree that from the health standpoint that vegetarianism doesn't have many benefits and can be a real challenge. I've come a long way already in knowing that protein and vegetables, not grains, need to be the center of my diet. The Whole30 will be about creating consistency and breaking some bad habits. AGK PS - I don't care at all about whether other people eat red and white meat and will happily cook a steak or chicken for hubby. But I've also realized that there's a great variety of fish, scallops, mussels etc. that will let me adapt Paleo to my needs with no excuses! ... Maybe some of my ancestors lived by the Mediterranean and had fishing nets but really sucked at making spears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambermae Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 I'm starting my first Whole 30 tomorrow, too. Good luck to both of us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runnermom2 Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 I started today too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derval Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Best if luck AGK. Great opening post, looking fwd to reading more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michele Tourville Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Restarting also again today!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerryg1970 Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 I am starting today too!! Good luck everyone and I look forward to seeing all the great results!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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