Starting again - making peace with food

[lcs75]

Day 0

 

Here I am again...

 

As I write these word I concentrate on my breathing and try not to get agitated. Although I might have left my accute eating disorder behind me many years ago - with only very occasional flare ups in the last 14 years - I am by no way at peace with food. And I am hoping that an approach to food leaving addictive patterns in the food will help.

 

I always have many and lofty goals and overall I count as an over-achiever, but more and more I feel overwhelmed and I know that the changes I make are not only in my diet.

 

Baby steps, baby steps are better than not starting the journey x

[jmcbn]

Best of luck this time around lcs75 - make peace with yourself and the journey towards making peace with your food will be that much easier...

[lcs75]

Thanks you I will try

[lcs75]

Good morning Day 1!

Some of the things I really enjoy that I changed previously with Whole 30 and continued to do:

Coffee with coconut butter - love the creamy froth on top.

Eating a normal meal for breakfast within the hour after waking - I was like that as a child and then got moulded by society - so Yay, I love this!

Today is my physio review - fingers crossed! Always nervous when I have to go to a review...

And tomorrow I go on business travel again, thankfully or hopefully the last time for a month.

Good day to all!!!

[lcs75]

Always we hope
someone else has the answer
some other place will be better
some other time
it will all turn around.

This is it.
No one else has the answer
No other place will be better
and it has already turned out.

At the centre of your being you have the answer
you know who you are and you know what you want.

There is no need
to run outside
for better seeing.

Nor to peer from a window.

Rather abide at
the centre of your being
for the more you leave it
the less you learn.

Search your heart
and see
the way to do
is to be.

Lao Tzu

[lcs75]

Today was great food wise until I had some bakery fresh bread at home...

 

I had my final review at the physio today, well final one for my neck injury 15 months ago. I was told that this is it - this is as good as it gets. What I currently do exercise wise is all my body tolerates. No more triathlons, no more weight lifting, crossfit... I can run and do pilates - I am happy with that,  probably hoped to do more again some day, I now train 3.5 hours a week, which is 10 hours less than before my injury.

 

Since being diagnosed with Ehler Danlos Type 3 late last year, it has been a roller coaster and I have learnt a lot about my body and especially the rest time my body requires. And I know that my diet has an impact on my well being, and that is why I will not give up on my journey!

[Aerwyna]

You did your best for the day.

 

Put it behind you and carry on again tomorrow

[lcs75]

Good mormimg Day 1 !

 

Thanks Aerwyna, I am right back into it - today I travel, so I have boiled eggs and ham slices ready to take with me to the airport (it is currently 3:30am) and I am packing nuts in case I get no suitable meal alternatives.

 

My last year has been about re-assessing my life and goals. Triathlon training bibles have made space for books like "Living with EDS", "Original Strength", "The Power of Now" - quite an amazing journey looking back Many tears and many days down in the dumpster. But I am happy most of the time. I often run with my friends 3 daughters (7/9/12) now and love it when they reach new goals - the 9 year old beats me now I have friends who have just agreed to do 2 team tris with me, where I only have to do the run leg - and they are ok with me doing the run slow. From a social component I am now more engaged than when I was logging the miles in the pool and on the road both by bike and on foot. We laugh more at pilates than I did at weight lifting. I am still missing dancing, but my  physio has ensured me that I will be able to dance again one day. I need to learn to pace myself.If I have a big day on site, I need to pull back on my running. When everyone says increase your incidental exercise, I am the opposite and need to be mindful of not doing real exercise on those days.

 

Mindfulness is the key word. I still have many days when I am too busy to feel my body - and that counts for mindless eating as well. I have started meditating this year, but seemed to run out of time when I started Whole 30. Now I say less is better than nothing - if I can do 10min in the morning that is great! I also have breathing exercises as short as 30s to have little breaks during the day.

 

I also sleep more. Fatigue is a big issue in my life and I am making a point to sleep more (getting up at 3am is now unusual) and over the last few months I have gradually built up to 7.5-9 hours per night! I never knew I was such a sleepy head!

 

I am better than I was "mechanically" as my physio calls it. After the accute injury (I injured my neck by washing my hair...the beauty of having EDS...) got better, my goal was to get through a day without medication and to be mostly painfree throughout the day - we are not there yet, but I am soo much better - and as my physio says, this is it, this is as good as it gets. So I am on maintenance now "mechanically".

 

Apart from having a difficult history with food, I do believe that food has a major impact on my health and that is why I am here. To eliminate the food groups and see how I feel and to have a clear path for reintroduction. No one can do this for me and there is no magic fix. Similar to doing my physio exercises every single morning, I will just have to stick with this. I am not sure if the normal Whole 30 will do the trick, as I guess I have some FODMAP issues, but I will deal with that when I get there.

 

I have been on and off on the Whole 30 since the 1st of March and many things have improved and I have already noticed some trigger foods. Also my taste buds are changing, quite a few things have lost their attraction lately or I just try them and they don't taste as awesome as they used to - I tried sweet chilli chips the other day and they were ordinary.

 

I know I can do this! And today is a great day to start Managing while being on the road, is the best way to conquer any doubts

 

Have a great day all xox

[lcs75]

Meal 1: Coffee with coconut oil and two hard boiled eggs rolled on two slices of ham with mustard.

Is mustard ok?

Will have Meal 1 - Part 2 at airport, its really early and ham and egg was all I had time for.

[ladyshanny]

Meal 1: Coffee with coconut oil and two hard boiled eggs rolled on two slices of ham with mustard.

Is mustard ok?

Will have Meal 1 - Part 2 at airport, its really early and ham and egg was all I had time for.

Mustard should be fine, just check the ingredients.  The ham I would be worried about though, it is absurdly difficult to find compliant ham.  Just check those ingredients again.  Sugar, soy and carrageenan are common culprits!

[lcs75]

Day 1 was good, extremly busy but I had a good day for food

 

Meal 1: Coffee with coconut oil and two hard boiled eggs rolled on two slices of ham with mustard.

 

Snack at airport: handful of nuts and a beetroot, apple, melon juice

 

Meal 2: Grilld burger patty with pineapple, bacon, majonaise and sweet potato chips

 

Meal 3: Thai chicken curry with vergetables

 

Completely buggered after an 18 hour day... settling down in the hotel now!

[Aerwyna]

Great day, if long!  Thanks for filling us in on the EDS - I had to look it up.  Sounds like in some ways it has been good for you and put you more in touch with your body, and moved you a little ways away from chronic cardio.

How long is your trip?

[lcs75]

Trip is for 4 days. I will have at least 1 month without work travel before my next trip, its been a very busy year so far, so cannot wait for the "break".

Having brekkie now, 2 poached eggs with a whole avocado, that should keep me going for a while.

I never really thought about it as chronic cardio, I just loved being outside, pushing my limits. It is such a great way to release the stress from work and I miss it, I think that is the problem of letting go, I actually really enjoyed tri training and weight lifting.

[lcs75]

Day 2 is coming to an end - another extremly busy day!

Had a tiny run this morning and broke the spell! The run was hard after the few weeks break I had and I cut the session short, but it was good to be outside!

Food was fine today

Meal 1: 2 poached eggs and 1 avocado, fruit salad

Meal 2: Nuts and rocket salad (no dressing) with chicken breast

Meal 3: Steak with potato, avocado and mushroom sauce

I will spend the evening to reflect on the last few months. That is the benefit of a boring evening in the hotel - and I will turn my laptop off so I don't work all night again!

[lcs75]

Hmm something to consider!

 

http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/27053-travelling-and-eating-out/

[lcs75]

Worked until late. Got very frustrated and raided the mini bar. Frustrated from work and because Whole 30 and travelling is just too hard. Had 2 beers, peanuts and a little bit of rocky road.

Wow what a mature thinking pattern... I think writing this down makes it more obvious to me.

Work: I need to bring in healthy stress strategies again. No email at home, fixed start times and a point on my way home where I close the work day (I have a single

lane bridge where I do that). I know how to combat this stress and frustration and just need to put them back in place.

Food: I started with the nuts because I did not have enough food during the day - I have identified that pattern. Beer? I thought it would relax me and make me stop work - I could have just stopped work. Rocky Road - I was just pissed off that I cannot get the Whole 30 right and it had smiled at me since I got to the hotel and I thought - doesn't matter now!

To be more efficient I started having meals in my room. I am exhausted from long days and I am starting to get sick. From now on room service is out, I go out for meals and have a decent night break.

For me Whole 30 is a journey - how is for you?

Welcome Day 1 I can do this!

[Aerwyna]

I think travelling would have been hard for me too if I hadn't already been a long way into my primal journey when I had to go on the road.  I certainly wasn't Whole 30 then, but I did manage to stick to primal, so there was a little cheese involved and a little red wine.  As you say it is a journey ... my reasons for having to restart Whole 30 were about a little bit of sugar and a little bit of cheese ... and I do mean small amounts.  My indulgences now are so much better than they ever used to be ... 85% dark chocolate, a bag of salted pistachios and a glass of red wine.  I keep away from grains and peanuts at all costs WHEN I am in my right mind.  Occasionally, circumstances will arise that result in consumption of buttered toast, but they are few and far between these days, and my default setting is just 'no' to grains.  Where next on the journey?

 

Hope you have a great day today!

[lcs75]

I have to admit today was a great day food wise with avo, egg and mince meat for brekkie, chicken, salad and chips for lunch and korean for dinner, but I got smashed with my work mate who is becoming a father for the first time

Merry, and I mean merry, regards from Australia, it is gonna be a little girl

[lcs75]

how insignificant everything seems to be

WHEN YOU FIND OUT THAT YOU WILL BE A GRANDMA!!!!

I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY !!!!!!!'

[lcs75]

Cannot believe that I celebrate with one friend to befome a Dad only to get back to the hotel and talk to my little girl, that she's gonna be a mom!!!! Over the moon I am so excited!!!!

[Loulabelle]

Congratulations! What wonderful news 

[Aerwyna]

Wonderful news indeed

 

Now remember this is why you want to get your health into gear, so you can be the coolest grandma ever

[lcs75]

Thank you I am over the moon

 

 

May 1 - Day 1 - seems like a great day to start!

 

3 more meals to tackle before I get home. Here is my strategy and I would really like to nail 1 compliant travel day

 

Meal 1: Black coffee, poached eggs and avocado

 

Meal 2: Steak, potato and veg

 

Meal 3: Lamb cutlets and salad

[lcs75]

Yesterday and my travel back home started with me sitting in a plane for 6 hours (it's a 1.5 hour trip), wondering if I will make it home that day. We had boarded the plane and were stuck in bad weather, could not take off and then the pilots had to do a shift change... But I did make it home Happy to be home! A lot of time last week I was really proud of my food choices and sometimes I was not. I have definitely learnt that eating compliant with Whole 30 is for me really really difficult when travelling.

 

The mad and crazy travelling and meeting time is over, at least for a month! I have a BBQ, several events (team tri, walks) and I am going to a musical, but it is all manageable! I have a lot of control on all these events and can chose where I eat and what I take!

 

No more excuses!

 

My focus is on the Whole 30 and putting other stress / health strategies back into place!

 

1. Healthy Whole 30 food
2. Sleeping
3. Mindfulness and meditation
4. Setting a daily priority
5. Movement - mobility, pilates, walking, running, dancing
6. Time with family and friends

Good morning Day 1!!!

 

I will start my Whole 30 with making a meal plan for the next week and going shopping. The fridge is empty and I have previously cleaned out all the unhealthy food (over the last 12 months). So I am ready

[lcs75]

 

Today was a good food day. I am finally home and finally in charge of my own plate

 

Meal 1: Broccoli, sweet potato and mince with fried eggs. Black coffee with coconut oil

 

Meal 2: Zucchini, bone broth, coconut cream curry soup with meatballs. Apple with nut butter.

 

Meal 3: Pork belly with sweet potato chips and mixed veggies. Stewed rhubarb + apple with nut / coconut topping

 

Today I have taken a big step in the right direction and I have asked for professional help, the first time in my life. It makes me feel all weird inside to say this, but I think it is time to face old demons.

 

Cheerio