Whole 7 + 30: Ready(or not) - Hep

[Nadia B]

Ribs dilemma was solved by me simply asking J to skip the BBQ sauce. I am giving him less credit he deserves - no questions were asked, just slightly surprised look. I appreciate him not making a deal out of me not eating the sausages (wheat crumbs) either. We agreed to disagree on all our food/medicine positions long time ago. He does his thing, I do mine. Fortunately he doesn't mind vegetables and we both love meat. We both admitted many times that we could not date a vegetarian.

Day 8. Monday.

M1. Beef ribs. That's right, that was my breakfast. Coffee with 3 mini sweet potatoes at the office later. I am still hungry to be honest. I need to come up with some breakfast solution for the days I stay over at his place. It has to have short cooking/reheating time and freeze well. I am thinking meatballs and cherry tomatoes?

M2. Vegetable mix with smoked salmon. Strawberries. Lots.

M2.1 Hungry! Bell peppers and smoked salmon. Pack of macadamia butter on the way to the class, starving, go figure.

Yoga practice (90 min, love the longer classes). I am quite stiff and sore still so gentle movement is in order. Last half an hour was yoga Nidra and I drifted away. I was somewhere else.

M3. Late snack of green apple and turkey breast.

J's birthday is tomorrow. I have decided that I am off-roading at the restaurant (probably just the sugar in the sauces, that place is fantastic, but they serve a fixed menu which means alternations are hard to excute). I have not decided if I am part taking in the outrageous ice cream cake eating. He loves that creamery and I think it's very...mmm...tailored to the NA palate. I am guessing that eating an ice-cream cake for breakfast by yourself is not fun but I can't say that it's a real worth it thing in my book. I guess I can get an ice-cream cupcake for him from that shop and some sort of a treat for myself that won't make me sick. Alternatively I am just getting over the stomach issues after the diary bomb and stay the cool girlfriend for once Decision decisions.

[LadyM]

Yep. Vegetarians are out. Enjoying food together is an important part of relationship, IMHO. Glad you two are working it out!

 

I know you'll figure everything else out. Meatballs are a great idea for m1 at bf's. I hope you enjoy your off roading and that nothing gives you pain.

[pjena]

It sounds like you're handling the potential pitfalls wonderfully!  And I'm sure he'd rather eat ice cream cake alone than have you sick the rest of the day...

[Nadia B]

UPD. I picked up an ice-cream cake during the lunch. Kept it in the freezer at work. Placed it in the fridge at the yoga studio. Apparently it wasn't on. Cake has melted into a disgusting puddle. I never laughed so hard. Bought a mini carrot cake instead. Veggies for breakfast, amiright? Sorry not supposed to post this in the whole30 thread. I am still not sure if I will parttake in ingesting it. Can I have half an avocado and act like it's a cake? It actually sounds better to me.

[pjena]

Too funny!  The ice cream cake was not meant to be.  A candle would totally work in an avocado!

[SaraRuns]

Egg muffins to keep in the freezer at J's?

 

Ice cream puddle is not nearly as appetizing as ice cream cake...

[Nadia B]

Won't they get soggy and disgusting, Sara? 

 

Day 9 aka I can't count aka end of the mini-whole. 

 

M1. No cake. We both forgot about it. It was sitting in the middle of the kitchen and we forgot about it. J was opening presents. I was eating smoked salmon out of the pack because I am classy like that. 

 

M1.2 Coffee. Carrots, apple, turkey breast with artichoke dip courtesy of a supermarket. I bet I could have done an entire whole30 without cooking a single meal. 

 

M2. Citrus kale salad, turkey and more carrots. 

 

Barre class. 

 

M3. Birthday dinner out. Brisket, smoked asparagus and collards in lard. Drool.

 

Existing problems: upset stomach and nausea plus meal timing is completely off. Not happy about it.

 

Upcoming problems: J's parents are taking us out for dinner this weekend. I am in charge of the restaurant pick. I am thinking steak house. It might be the easiest meal to stay compliant. 

[SaraRuns]

I make about two dozen egg muffins and freeze them once they are cooled.  I put them in the fridge the night before to defrost and just microwave for about a minute.  I haven't had any soggy issues.

 

Steak house sounds yum!

[Nadia B]

I went to the port de bras class and then to a bf's birthday. Dinner was wonderful. Lots of laughs with friends and lots of good food. We went for a walk after, just the two of us. We came home late and ate the goddamned cake. Tiny slice for each because he wanted to. It wasn't amazingly good, too sweet but worth it. I woke up 3 hours after (sugar crush I guess), slept restless and felt like a truck rode me over in the morning. I own my decision and don't regret anything. I will keep this warm up round a ten and then get to the real deal whole30 to the tee.

Day 10.

M1. 2 eggs and a green bell pepper.
M2. Roast beef, banana and a bite of coconut butter.
M3. Plantain, mixed vegetables with bell pepper/artichoke dressing and more roast beef.

Pre WO coconut butter.

WOD. Kettle bell snatches and overhead squat mobility. I did well, solid weight for me.

Post WO turkey and an apple. Also green juice from the bottle, no fruit in it which is great. I really wanted green veggies but I couldn't get any as I was rushing to get home.

M4. Little bit of Brussel sprouts and a pork sausage. Still hungry. So hungry all day long.

Existing problems: I am very nauseous in the afternoon. Almost every day. I have no answers to what it can be. I am not pregnant and I don't have a stomach bug, just to clear these out of the way.

Upcoming problems: dinner with bf's parents. Not only they are picky eaters, not only steakhouse I suggested was fully booked but to top it off his brother is coming too. Long story short, but I have never met him and he is known to explicitly state that he will do everything to be a mean jerk to me. At this point I am thinking to roll with the rest of the week in the whole30 spirit, but start the count on Sunday. I feel like it contradicts my very first post and now I am wiggling again. It just seems too risky to give his brother a reason to pick on me...unless I come up with an elegant way to order compliant stuff here.

[LadyM]

Oh, Nadia, give yourself a break and just begin after the dinner with bf's fam. That's my vote.

[SaraRuns]

I'm with LadyM, no need to pile on the stress.  Which might be the cause of your stomach pain in the afternoon...

[Nadia B]

Maybe you are right, ladies. Thanks for the support 

 

Day 11. 

 

M1. Sprouts + smoked pork breakfast  sausage. 

 

BIKING TO WORK! YASSSSSS. It was not that warm and it was crazy windy, but I just can't wait any longer.

 

M2. I am not sure if biking 16 km is a workout, but I skipped the fat in the meal. Granny smith apple and turkey breast. Several strawberries. Americano. 

 

M3. Broccoli, artichoke tapenade, plantain and smoked salmon. Random food that tastes good and does me good.

 

M4. I was starving, so I quickly cooked a bison burger and had a spoonful of sunbutter. 

 

Called it a rest day and signed up for two classes of yoga/pilates/dancing fusion that is supposed to be low key. That's rest, no? 

 

M5. Super nauseous after the classes. Cooked a super ripe plantain with an egg, 1/2 avocado and a ginger kombucha. Aww early to bed. 

 

   

 

 

 

[Nadia B]

Hot yoga before bed is a stupid idea, Nadia, how many times do you have to step on the same garden racks? 

 

Day 12. 

 

M1. 2 eggs, 1/2 avocado and a bit of ground veal. Coffee.

 

Biked to an early yoga session. Do you ever feel more stiff after you increase the frequency of yoga practices? Does it have something to do with the static stretching vs active? I feel that active stretching works better and does not stiffen you up that much. I am no pro in this, I like it because it calms my monkey brain. This class was good but my hips are the tightest I remember them. My massage ball should help a bit. 

 

M1.2 Fresh strawberries at the office. Not a template meal or even snack. I was really craving some freshness for the tummy. Cucumber would be nicer but I didn't have any.

 

M2. Starving early. Salad from the cafe - greens, tuna, egg and olives. Walk with a friend, still hungry. Salmon, two giant bell peppers and a plantain 30 min later. I am a bottomless pit today.   

[LadyM]

Where and how are you stiff? If I jam up my SI joints in yoga, it definitely makes me feel stiff in my lower back. I've also learned that tight obliques (thank you, barre!) can cause hip stiffness. But that's my body.

 

Be careful with the hot yoga. Adrenal burnout city no matter what time of day and very addicting. What kind of yoga did you do this morning? I find yoga provides both static and active stretching depending on the type and class. Were you doing yin? Yin before bed is best. Yin in the morning causes naps.

 

Enjoy your Nadia time however you choose to spend it!

[Nadia B]

 

 

Be careful with the hot yoga. Adrenal burnout city no matter what time of day and very addicting. What kind of yoga did you do this morning? I find yoga provides both static and active stretching depending on the type and class. Were you doing yin? Yin before bed is best. Yin in the morning causes naps.

 

I see how it can get addictive. The problem is that every studio is turning every class into "hot yoga". They can do hatha or vinyasa or whatnot but in a hot room and a regular class is harder to find. I admit I should put more effort into finding the right place and teachers, but convenience gets in the way. I don't think that I want to get going with "hot classes" other than a random class in the morning, they feel great in the AM. 

 

My two biggest areas to watch is lower back (careful with backbends, deep camel wrecks me) and stiff hamstrings/glutes/calves. Maybe it is because I am pretty bendy and I go too deep into static holds like triangle etc. Paralysis by analysis. 

 

 

Day 12. Part 2.

 

M3. Can't. Get. Enough. Food. I steamed a plantain (does it qualify as a legit obsession already?) and ate a handful of pipitas. 

 

Maybe a training session maybe Nadia-you-need-to-chill-out time.   

 

Trying out new gym because I have unlimited visits to many partner studios for a week. Hence my random yoga/pilates etc streak. Visit to this place made me appreciate my regular place so much. Basically it's a little box and all they do are crazy metcons for 30 min. No mobility, no skills training, weird look when asked about programming. I understand that's the format, but how can you have a business based on solely on this method. I guess people just want to go hard and feel sore. I bet they will be, their form made me cringe. Regardless I broke a good sweat (that awkward moment when you swing more than dudes in the class). Ok enough with this gym snob talk, not very nice of me. I am grateful that I have money to spend on some quality training and I am grateful that my body is allowing me to do what I do.  

 

M4. Post WO apple and turkey breast. 

 

M5. Biked more, chilled in he sun at the patio with friends, bought some veggies (step1!) and cooked a big dinner. Veal burger, tomato, avocado, Brussels sprouts and a bottle of kombucha. Unnecessary treat but it really feels great after a long day. I feel that I ate so much today, but I have moved a lot to. If I did it right, I will feel good tomorrow and have energy for the morning gym class. 

 

[Nadia B]

Day 13. Warm up is done.

 

M1. 2 eggs, avocado, plantain. Coffee. Best breakfast in the world. 

 

Gym. Circuit training. 

 

Post WO. apple and some meat. Ran errands and bought a ton of meat/produce. 

 

M2. Made myself a snack sized bison patty and broccoli. Realized I was still hungry after 20 minutes running around the kitchen. Made another smallish bison patty with 1/4 avocado. 

 

Last minute ball game invite. By last minute I mean 30 minutes from sweaty gym outfit/cooking to the gates. Apple of boredom at the baseball game. Not necessary at all.

 

M3. Cooking everything in a super speedy mode. Stuffed peppers, marinated and seared chicken strips and burgers. This will cover post WO and lunches/dinners. Roasted broccoli, sprouts, beets and plantains. I can't say it all turned out great, I actually felt that despite tons of spices, it all came out kind of bland. You know what, I won't complain, it's all better than wrecking my brain at the office at what I am going to eat for lunch. I need to hard boil eggs tomorrow and do something with zucchinis. Soup? Likely. I am weird, I am not into zoodles all that much. I ate some random vegetables and pieces of chicken/beef.while cooking. This is my biggest sin - sneaking food while cooking. I was hungry all day or my brain feels hungry for some reason. 

 

M4. The dreaded dinner with the bf's family. It went really well. Restaurant I picked seemed to please everyone. We shared a lot of food but I noticed that I was eating the most (out of girls). Not that it made me self conscious, but I caught myself wondering if it's my appetite that is crazy or they are obsessing over portion control? I shared pork belly and steak tartare with bf's Dad. I had grilled octopus (charred rapini and polenta - 2 tbs max - on the side). I also couldn't resist a piece of amazing ribeye and some bone marrow from bf's plate. Portions were pretty small (apart from the 42 oz monster steak) and I felt comfortably full. His brother gave me a hug at the end. I guess all the worries were for nothing. 

 

Real thing Whole30 starts tomorrow. I can't wait, I have a good feeling about it.

 

M5. Eating an apple as I type this. That's a lot of apples eaten today. Ballet and lots of bike riding tomorrow. I hope yours weekend is going well too. 

[missmary]

hugs are the best. I'm glad it's going well for you Nadia.

[SaraRuns]

So glad the BF family dinner went well!

[pjena]

So glad the dinner went well and that the brother behaved!

[Nadia B]

Thanks everyone. I am relieved it went well and that it's over.

Whole30. Day 1. Wohoo.

Terrible sleep tonight. Tossed and turned, and woke up 5 times. Thank you coffee at 3 pm yesterday.

7 am. M1. 1/2 apple while cooking brekkie. So hungry! 2 eggs, plantain and a peppermint tea.

Coffee at the office.

11 am. M2 fail. Hungry. Heated vegetables and some fish. I ate 1/2 of veggies and I felt that I am not hungry out of a sudden. Strange but I am not eating when not hungry. I get back to the meal when I feel like eating. Also I have a nagging abdomen pain from yesterday.

1:40 pm. M3. Grass fed beef patty from my favorite butcher. So flavorful. How come my beef never turns out so great in terms of seasoning? Eggplant ( roasted crispy slices), tomatoes and mushrooms.

4pm. Sunbutter as I have to run errands and I don't know when the dinner is coming. Estimate damage - 2 spoons.

M4. Pork roast slice, sauteed cabbage and a handful of grapes. Glass of my Dad's kombucha.

What's good: being a responsible adult and not training today as I am really under slept. Sad trumpet. Foam rolling and meditation is my plan for tonight. I have read an article about recovery. It had one brilliant line: "Strength isn't built. It's granted by your nervous system". I love it. Full article for the curious.

What's not: weird breakouts on my forehead and scalp. Ew.

[Nadia B]

Day 2.

Spent the night at my parents because they live close to the clinic. I couldn't sleep at all. So annoyed. My arms go numb again. Chiropractor appointment should help and give my joints some space. I am sure it's a spinal issue. I think I need to get on the physiotherapy. 

6:45 am M1. Coffee, eggplant, little piece of salmon and 2 soft boiled eggs with caviar. Little Russian baller I am. Kidding. My Dad managed to snag 6lb of the raw roe for cheap at some fishmonger. We brined it and prepped it yesterday.

8 am M2. Packed a handful of cashews and dried currants because I was feeling slightly hungry still. Ate it while waiting for the appointment.

11:30 am M3. Broccoli, golden beets and a burger patty. 

 

2 pm. Walk during lunch. Black mission fig (heavenly good) and a small Cortland apple. I almost made it without fruit huh. They give me freshness but don't give me heavy feeling if I drink after I eat. I wish there were mini cucumbers like baby carrots. I desperately need a nap. 

 

4 pm. M4. I am hungry again. Not impressed with this snacking today. 1/2 bison stuffed bell pepper and some roasted vegetables.  

 

Planned a low key movement class. I am honoring my commitment to rest when I need it. It is so hard. 

M5. Taco seasoned meat with a salad. The most bland and boring dinner I've had in a while. Avocados were still unripe and spices were not doing it for me somehow. I was a hungry and grumpy mess. Kill all things +PMS in all it's glory. 

[Nadia B]

Day 3.

Better yet not great sleep. Numb hands again. Moody morning as last night we had some sort of miscommunication going on which led to both going to bed grumpy. No time to cook breakfast as we had to be out the door earlier. I was starving!

7 am. Apple in the car. I won't dare to call it M1. Note to self: hard boiled eggs -> fridge.

8 am. M1. How smart was my sneaky plan to stuff the office kitchen with food. Grass fed delicious burger with plantain. Coffee. Life is getting better by the minute.

1:30 pm M2. Bison stuffed bell pepper, roasted sprouts and golden beets. Nom.

5 pm. Pre WO. 1/2 bison patty, bell peppers just because.

Gym. Finally. Hello barbell, I missed you. Feeling nice and limber. Chiro + rest = win!

Post WO. Chicken and a banana. Real life wins, this is what I have on hand. Plan better.

8pm M3. Pile of cabbage, chicken drumstick and a bit of cashews. 

[LadyM]

Life is getting better by the minute. Love it!

I try to avoid fruit before and after working out. Sends stuff to the liver rather than the muscles is what my mind makes of the science I've read. Take that for what it's worth!

[Nadia B]

I try to avoid fruit before and after working out. Sends stuff to the liver rather than the muscles is what my mind makes of the science I've read. Take that for what it's worth!

This one is an interesting one as well as a "eat protein immediately after". There are a few camps on sports nutrition even among paleo-ish food pyramid followers. Good news is that they all agree on the composition of the pre and post workout meals. Two nutritionists who attend my gym as well as the owner of the facility (and a former professional athlete) say that fruit or no fruit makes not difference as long as you eat your post WO meal. I know the program recommendations as well as I believe that Melissa and Dallas being athletes know their stuff, however, if I have a banana that is about to go bad, I will eat this delicious mess after a grueling workout. Fruits are very palatable after workout, that's for sure. I wish I was organized enough to make an experiment. 10 days/10 days of post WO with fruit/starchy vegetables. Also, can't really eat sweet potatoes or squashes, my stomach rebels. I am left with plantains and beets I guess. Beets post workout.... :o

Day 4.

6:30 am M1. 2 eggs, caviar, broccoli, eggplants and cabbage. Sounds gross but I enjoyed it, mkay? Coffee and a few cashews because still hungry. I have been ravenous for breakfasts recently.

M2. Bison stuffed peppers and a salad. Mission fig.

Last bell pepper with meat because 4 pm and hungry. This will do as preWO/gym/PostWO chicken and carrots

M3. Small salad with salmon. 1/2 banana.

Feeling okay. Excited for the weekend - Russian ballet show and a Circus School outing with my gym people are on tap as well as a big family gathering. Thankfully my aunt is semi on board with eating this way, so I can be anal about ingredients without offending her.

Question, runners. I am thinking of joining a fun event that is called mindful triathlon which will happene here in Toronto on the beutiful little island we have. It consists of yoga, mediatation and....5k. If you know me, I despise running. No offence if you love it, please. I would run to save my life and run sprints at the gym because I have to. Is there a good way to train for it? I am sure I am fit enough not to die from it.

[LadyM]

Haha! Love the idea that we choose the company we keep based in part on with whom we can comfortably be anal. Russian ballet and circus? My ideal weekend. Enjoy!

And of course you know your stuff re: eating around workouts and what works best for your body.

Your meals sound great to me. Caviar for breakfast? Yes, please!