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Guest bfree11

Day 54 (of healthy eating)

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs, veggies, 1 tbsp almond butter, berries, black coffee

Lunch: chicken nori wrap, kombucha

Snack: 1 coconut covered vegan marshmallow

Dinner: almond flour crusted chicken, veggies, organic sugar free ketchup, 2 pickle spears, tbsp of tessamaes zesty "ranch"

Exercise: Rest Day

 

I only got 4 hours of sleep last night. I had a lot on my mind and just kept tossing and turning until I eventually gave up on trying to fall back asleep and got out of bed. I woke up really hungry, so I made myself some breakfast and then got ready for work. By lunch time, I was super hungry again because I ate breakfast so early. Tired and hungry is a recipe for disaster. I had a hard time deciding if I was "allowed" to have a nori wrap for lunch. It's got a lot of veggies and avocado inside, but there's rice too, and it always leaves me feeling so full because I finish the whole thing. I don't get them very often and it is a healthier "treat" than a burger or pasta, so I decided to go for it. I checked in halfway through and I was still ravenous, so I kept eating. After I ate the whole thing, my fullness finally caught up with me and I felt SO INCREDIBLY UNCOMFORTABLY full. It didn't upset my stomach at all, but I just felt uncomfortable. I made sure to have a smaller, light dinner about 8 hours later when I finally got hungry again. 

 

I don't feel badly about eating the nori wrap. It is a relatively healthy "special" lunch. I don't have it everyday, or even every week. I know when I decide to have a nori wrap for lunch, that I'm going to struggle with stopping myself from eating the whole thing and I'm going to feel very full afterward, which is probably why I order them infrequently. It will take a few weeks before I put my body through that again. While it is delicious and a nice change, my Whole 30 meals make me feel way better after eating and that's much more important to me. 

 

I think I chose to eat the nori wrap for lunch today because I wasn't well rested and had low energy. Prior to changing my eating behaviors, I typically ate when I was tired or bored, in addition to when I was simply hungry. This is why I ate that marshmallow today. I was tired and bored, I saw the container, and just went for it. While I was chewing it, I was already looking at the others in the container, trying to decide which one I wanted to have next. Then, I stopped myself, put it away, and forced myself to just enjoy the one I had in my hand. I don't even like marshmallows, but I was bored and tired, which made me vulnerable. I at least pushed myself to eat it mindfully and enjoy it, rather than just chewing it fast so that I could move on to the next one in the container. I try to refocus myself when I'm having something unhealthy and really stay present through the experience and at least enjoy the flavors. 

 

I had a bunch more urges/cravings on my way home from work. At this point, I was exhausted and I just kept thinking about comforting myself with food. It's so easy for me to see now that boredom and lack of sleep are emotional eating triggers for me now. I knew when I was tossing and turning in the middle of the night last night that today I'd be way more vulnerable to cravings. I'm proud of all of the cravings I had today that I didn't give into (there were many!). I'm also proud of myself for fessing up to the things I ate that are not Whole 30 approved and not beating myself up about it. I'm not spiraling out of control, I'm not gaining all of the weight back, I'm just living life. Sometimes you have something a little special for lunch, but not too frequently. I guess that could technically be looked at as using food as a reward, but to be honest, we live in a society where food is totally a reward/comfort system. 

 

I'm not going to dwell on today's imperfections. I'm going to remember that not sleeping enough makes me vulnerable, nori wraps make me full, and eating treats mindfully is the only way to control the splurge and make it easier to stop. 

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Guest bfree11

That is so great that your habits are brushing off on other people, way to go!

 

I changed work stations for the next 2 weeks (including weekends) because we have a big event going on. I'm technically working as an aide to a higher up so I'm working much longer hours than normal and also I'm in like this basement office where we can't leave during the day. On the one hand its good because I'm being kept busy, but like yesterday my lunch wasn't big enough and I was stuck there until about 630pm. I was dying for something more, but there are snack bars everywhere filled with unhealthy things! The girl I'm assigned with had some poptarts and I was like oh sweet sugary goodness, but I didn't have any. I don't credit this to my willpower but to the fact that I didn't have any cash on me. Today I"m running to the store on the way in to see what healthy options I may have because alas again I'm not bringing enough food but I want to turn to the "healthiest" options. I don't even know where I'm supposed to be with reintroduction since I fell off the wagon, I think tomorrow may be cheese. We have a pesto shrimp in the freezer (homemade but too much to make in one meal) that the hubs can BBQ, and i may add some feta to my eggs, and I'm not sure how else to incorporate it into my day...

 

Here is to a busy weekend!

Poptarts are lame. They're not even food. You deserve way better quality nutrients than the chemicals and sugar in poptarts! Our bodies deserve to be treated with respect! You got this!

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When you're tired, bored, or hungry you're going to make bad decisions, although your nori wrap wasn't neccessarily a bad choice. I run into this problem with breakfast a lot, I used to make these egg bakes all the time, eggs with veggies (I used to add cheese) and they were ready in my fridge to bring to work. But I had to have time during the weekend to make them, and that didn't always happen if we were busy or away. In my previous job (and life) in NJ I would hit up the drive thru Dunkin Donuts, ALWAYS for an everything bagel with cream cheese. I know it didn't fill me up, I would still be hungry shortly after. Luckily I don't have that option here in Germany but I'm still struggling to find that go-to meal when I'm pressed for time. The egg bakes still work although I'm getting bored of them... I started doing an egg salad every once in awhile, but I don't have time to hard-boil eggs in the morning so I have to make sure that I have some ready to go. I actually really liked nom nom paleos's tuna cakes but I cannot bring those to the office or my co-workers will kill me. This week I'm working those crazy long hours and breakfast is difficult (ie: I have to get up at 3 tomorrow to get to the office by 5am, yikes!). I hardboiled some eggs tonight but when I'm tired and cranky I'm going to want something unhealthy, so I'll need to resist.

 

Tomorrow I'm reintroducing cheese. I was supposed to do it today but the hubs forgot to get feta at the store, lol. Unfortunately its also my time of the month so I'm having other digestive issues, I'm hoping by tomrorow I'll feel better otherwise it will make it difficult to separate the two, but I cannot push this timeline off any longer as I"ve "cheated" several times and I have some other events coming up. Wish me luck, I don't want to miss cheese.

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Guest bfree11

Day 55 (of healthy eating)

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs, berries

Lunch: 2 hotdogs, veggies, 2 pickle spears, 1 apple, 1 tbsp almond butter, kombucha

Dinner: 3 strawberries, 6 walnuts, 6 cashews

Exercise: Hot Yoga - 90 min

 

Meals we a little off today. I had hardly any food in the house at breakfast, then I went grocery shopping before lunch. At 9 pm I realized I hadn't had dinner yet, but I wasn't hungry. I decided I needed to eat at least something small so that I didn't wake up hungry in the middle of the night. I don't typically have 3 servings of fruit in a day, but this is not at diet! This is just life, and sometimes in life you eat 3 servings of fruit in one day!

 

A few months ago I bought a bicycle. I wasn't even sure if I'd remember how to ride a bike when I bought it, but after a few rides, my confidence came back and I was just fine. I don't know anything about bicycle maintenance, which became evident today. Lately when I go on bike rides, I feel like I'm going so slow and it's really hard to pedal. Other bikers always fly past me effortlessly and I began to feel ashamed that I was so out of shape. I'd even watch their pedaling timing and mirror it, but alas, I was still so slow! Part of me was really disappointed that my fitness level isn't where I want it to be yet, but the other part of me was genuinely perplexed because people that looked way more out of shape than me would literally zip past me. I decided to take my bike into the shop for a check up. Turns out bicycle tires need to be at like 70 or 80 PSI and mine were at 20 PSI. (I could be messing up the numbers, but you get my point). The guy was laughing and told me that I've been riding on essentially flat tires, which make it very difficult to pedal and go fast. HA! I was so relieved. All this time I thought something was wrong with me. I bought my own bicycle pump so that I can check the air levels more frequently form now on! I can't wait to see how fast I can go now!

 

In 5 days, I'm technically allowed to weight myself because it will have been a month since my Whole 30 ended. As hard of a decision as this was, I've decided not to weigh myself. I will still take pictures for comparing, but the number on the scale is irrelevant. I'm just trying to be a healthy, active person for the rest of my life. I hope I lose weight during the process, but there's no timeline for my weight loss, I plan to eat this way forever. So, the number on the scale really doesn't matter and it's not worth the risk of it becoming damaging if I don't like the number I see. I like that my size 12 pants are fitting looser, one step closer to single digits. I remember when I was a size 24. Pants sizes are really the only number that interests me!

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Guest bfree11

Day 55 (of healthy eating)

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs, berries

Lunch: 2 hotdogs, veggies, 2 pickle spears, 1 apple, 1 tbsp almond butter, kombucha

Dinner: 3 strawberries, 6 walnuts, 6 cashews

Exercise: Hot Yoga - 90 min

 

Meals we a little off today. I had hardly any food in the house at breakfast, then I went grocery shopping before lunch. At 9 pm I realized I hadn't had dinner yet, but I wasn't hungry. I decided I needed to eat at least something small so that I didn't wake up hungry in the middle of the night. I don't typically have 3 servings of fruit in a day, but this is not at diet! This is just life, and sometimes in life you eat 3 servings of fruit in one day!

 

A few months ago I bought a bicycle. I wasn't even sure if I'd remember how to ride a bike when I bought it, but after a few rides, my confidence came back and I was just fine. I don't know anything about bicycle maintenance, which became evident today. Lately when I go on bike rides, I feel like I'm going so slow and it's really hard to pedal. Other bikers always fly past me effortlessly and I began to feel ashamed that I was so out of shape. I'd even watch their pedaling timing and mirror it, but alas, I was still so slow! Part of me was really disappointed that my fitness level isn't where I want it to be yet, but the other part of me was genuinely perplexed because people that looked way more out of shape than me would literally zip past me. I decided to take my bike into the shop for a check up. Turns out bicycle tires need to be at like 70 or 80 PSI and mine were at 20 PSI. (I could be messing up the numbers, but you get my point). The guy was laughing and told me that I've been riding on essentially flat tires, which make it very difficult to pedal and go fast. HA! I was so relieved. All this time I thought something was wrong with me. I bought my own bicycle pump so that I can check the air levels more frequently form now on! I can't wait to see how fast I can go now!

 

In 5 days, I'm technically allowed to weight myself because it will have been a month since my Whole 30 ended. As hard of a decision as this was, I've decided not to weigh myself. I will still take pictures for comparing, but the number on the scale is irrelevant. I'm just trying to be a healthy, active person for the rest of my life. I hope I lose weight during the process, but there's no timeline for my weight loss, I plan to eat this way forever. So, the number on the scale really doesn't matter and it's not worth the risk of it becoming damaging if I don't like the number I see. I like that my size 12 pants are fitting looser, one step closer to single digits. I remember when I was a size 24. Pants sizes are really the only number that interests me!

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Guest bfree11

Day 56 (of healthy eating)

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1 hotdog, 1/2 bell pepper, nectarine, few berries, few walnuts

Lunch: 1/2 sandwich: 9 grain bread, chicken, avocado, mixed greens, slice of aged cheddar. 1/2 sweet potato fries, 1/2 broccoli, unsweetened iced tea

Movie theater: NOTHING! woohoo!

Dinner: handful of nuts, 3 strawberries, 1 pickle spear over several hours

Exercise: Power Flow Yoga AND 8 mile bike ride!

 

1. Yoga

Great workout this morning. I felt strong and fit. That is, until I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My body looked huge. It feels like the progress I'm making is going at a way slower rate than normal. I just want this excess weight to go away! I know I need to give it time, but man, is it frustrating! 

 

2. Lunch 

My friend and I ended up at a not so fabulous restaurant for lunch that neither of us had ever been to. I couldn't find a single healthy or unhealthy thing I'd even want to eat at this place! It just wasn't my kind of food. The salads were all super lame and I felt kind of panicked. We had already ordered drinks so it seemed rude to leave. I found myself making a series of choices and compromises with myself in my head. I ordered the chicken sandwich. I asked them to switch bread from a bun to 9 grain bread. I did get cheddar cheese, and luckily they only put one small slice on it. I added avocado to it and asked for no mayo. I ordered sweet potato fries as a side without the bourbon cinnamon butter and my friend ordered the steamed broccoli. We asked for an extra plate and split them in half. So I ate 1/2 the fries and 1/2 the broccoli. After 1/2 my sandwich, I was full and didn't feel it was worth continuing eating it if I wasn't hungry. It was a pretty easy choice to stop. I put my napkin over it too. I left feeling pretty good about my choices.

 

 

3. Movie Theater Temptations

Eating a meal right before a movie is a good way to reduce the risk of eating candy and popcorn! I was pretty full, so eating more food didn't feel logical. I did think about eating some candy and popcorn anyways, several, several times. I noticed a bunch of overweight women sitting next to me, each with their own giant bag of popcorn. The portion sizes were insane! I thought of my sister, who always pops popcorn at home and brings a reasonable sized portion to the theater. I think this is smart because it allows you to still enjoy the societal sensation of popcorn and a movie, but your body and health don't have to suffer. In the future, I may do something like that so that I don't feel deprived. As soon as the movie started, I forgot all about food and just enjoyed the film. Cravings come and go.

 

4. National Ice Cream Day

Ugh, I remember when National Donut Day happened during my first week of Whole 30. Why don't they have National Vegetable Day?! I think we should start one. I really liked the idea of eating ice cream today, but I chose not to. I did think about buying a pint of that Arctic Zone ice cream that's basically just made out of protein powder and the entire pint is like 300 calories. But, I realized that this would not help me with the behavioral changes that I am trying to make, so I didn't do it.

 

5. Bike Ride

I am happy to report that I had a much faster ride today now that there is air in my tires! I pushed myself really hard to make the workout challenging. I zipped past so many fit runners that had incredible bodies. It was just another reminder that those bodies require hard work to achieve. Exercising isn't just a punishment for fat people! Even in my yoga classes, almost everyone is thin and fit. Exercising is part of why these people look the way that they do. Duh! This wasn't always so obvious to me.

 

6. Dinner Fail

Yeah, I know, I dropped the ball with dinner. I wasn't hungry and didn't feel like doing more dishes. So I ate a couple little things so that my stomach wouldn't growl and then skipped dinner. I know that eating less doesn't make me weigh less, but I really wasn't that hungry and just didn't feel like it. I'll be back in a normal eating routine tomorrow!

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Guest bfree11

Day 56 (of healthy eating)

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1 hotdog, 1/2 bell pepper, nectarine, few berries, few walnuts

Lunch: 1/2 sandwich: 9 grain bread, chicken, avocado, mixed greens, slice of aged cheddar. 1/2 sweet potato fries, 1/2 broccoli, unsweetened iced tea

Movie theater: NOTHING! woohoo!

Dinner: handful of nuts, 3 strawberries, 1 pickle spear over several hours

Exercise: Power Flow Yoga AND 8 mile bike ride!

 

1. Yoga

Great workout this morning. I felt strong and fit. That is, until I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My body looked huge. It feels like the progress I'm making is going at a way slower rate than normal. I just want this excess weight to go away! I know I need to give it time, but man, is it frustrating! 

 

2. Lunch 

My friend and I ended up at a not so fabulous restaurant for lunch that neither of us had ever been to. I couldn't find a single healthy or unhealthy thing I'd even want to eat at this place! It just wasn't my kind of food. The salads were all super lame and I felt kind of panicked. We had already ordered drinks so it seemed rude to leave. I found myself making a series of choices and compromises with myself in my head. I ordered the chicken sandwich. I asked them to switch bread from a bun to 9 grain bread. I did get cheddar cheese, and luckily they only put one small slice on it. I added avocado to it and asked for no mayo. I ordered sweet potato fries as a side without the bourbon cinnamon butter and my friend ordered the steamed broccoli. We asked for an extra plate and split them in half. So I ate 1/2 the fries and 1/2 the broccoli. After 1/2 my sandwich, I was full and didn't feel it was worth continuing eating it if I wasn't hungry. It was a pretty easy choice to stop. I put my napkin over it too. I left feeling pretty good about my choices.

 

 

3. Movie Theater Temptations

Eating a meal right before a movie is a good way to reduce the risk of eating candy and popcorn! I was pretty full, so eating more food didn't feel logical. I did think about eating some candy and popcorn anyways, several, several times. I noticed a bunch of overweight women sitting next to me, each with their own giant bag of popcorn. The portion sizes were insane! I thought of my sister, who always pops popcorn at home and brings a reasonable sized portion to the theater. I think this is smart because it allows you to still enjoy the societal sensation of popcorn and a movie, but your body and health don't have to suffer. In the future, I may do something like that so that I don't feel deprived. As soon as the movie started, I forgot all about food and just enjoyed the film. Cravings come and go.

 

4. National Ice Cream Day

Ugh, I remember when National Donut Day happened during my first week of Whole 30. Why don't they have National Vegetable Day?! I think we should start one. I really liked the idea of eating ice cream today, but I chose not to. I did think about buying a pint of that Arctic Zone ice cream that's basically just made out of protein powder and the entire pint is like 300 calories. But, I realized that this would not help me with the behavioral changes that I am trying to make, so I didn't do it.

 

5. Bike Ride

I am happy to report that I had a much faster ride today now that there is air in my tires! I pushed myself really hard to make the workout challenging. I zipped past so many fit runners that had incredible bodies. It was just another reminder that those bodies require hard work to achieve. Exercising isn't just a punishment for fat people! Even in my yoga classes, almost everyone is thin and fit. Exercising is part of why these people look the way that they do. Duh! This wasn't always so obvious to me.

 

6. Dinner Fail

Yeah, I know, I dropped the ball with dinner. I wasn't hungry and didn't feel like doing more dishes. So I ate a couple little things so that my stomach wouldn't growl and then skipped dinner. I know that eating less doesn't make me weigh less, but I really wasn't that hungry and just didn't feel like it. I'll be back in a normal eating routine tomorrow!

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Guest bfree11

Day 57 (of healthy eating)

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1 hotdog, berries, veggies, black coffee

Lunchsalad with chicken, veggies, balsamic and oil, nuts & seeds, 1/2 avocado, kombucha

Dinner: grass-fed ground beef with a clean Trader Joe's taco seasoning, 1/2 avocado, 1/2 bell pepper, sweet potato "chips" roasted and seasoned with cinnamon and salt, 2 pickle spears

Exercise: Hot(ter than hell) Yoga...it was a scorcher today, but felt great.

 

I'm pretty pleased with the way I fed myself today. I felt hungry at all three meals, which was exciting for me because this isn't always the case. I got too full during dinner to finish the sweet potato chips, which was a huge win for me because traditionally I don't stop when I'm full. It was a pretty busy day at work. I like busy days because I forget all about food. It just isn't as important as the work I have to get done. I moved around a lot at work today, rather than just sitting at my desk and I think that was good for my mental and physical health. 

 

I thought about the Arctic Zone ice cream again on my drive home tonight. I thought about how lame it would be to eat it and then have to admit it on today's blog post right after I finished saying it was a lame idea to buy it yesterday! This situation made me realize just how helpful sharing what I eat with the public truly is. Now that I think about it, the fact that I know I'm going to have to post what I eat each day, stops me from making a lot of bad food choices that I would normally have just caved and ate. Sometimes when I'm tempted to eat something unhealthy, I think to myself that maybe I just won't put it on my post that night. The thought of lying or not being fully truthful makes me feel terrible! I know it sounds cheesy, but I'd really just be lying to myself. 

 

I felt some weight frustrations yesterday when I saw myself in the mirror during yoga. There are still so many pounds to lose and so many yoga poses that I can't even fathom being able to do someday. But, I need to be real with myself and realize that I have certainly made progress both with weight loss and with yoga. My stomach is smaller and I'm surprising myself with some of the balancing I'm able to do on my yoga mat. I look at before and after pictures on instagram a lot for motivation and I've noticed that it really does take several months for big goals to be reached. It feels like I've been eating clean forrreeeevvverrr, but it hasn't even been 2 months! I can honestly say that I don't see myself giving up this time around. Healthy just feels too awesome and the excitement of how I'll look, feel, and perform in a few more months keeps me going! 

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Guest bfree11

Day 57 (of healthy eating)

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1 hotdog, berries, veggies, black coffee

Lunchsalad with chicken, veggies, balsamic and oil, nuts & seeds, 1/2 avocado, kombucha

Dinner: grass-fed ground beef with a clean Trader Joe's taco seasoning, 1/2 avocado, 1/2 bell pepper, sweet potato "chips" roasted and seasoned with cinnamon and salt, 2 pickle spears

Exercise: Hot(ter than hell) Yoga...it was a scorcher today, but felt great.

 

I'm pretty pleased with the way I fed myself today. I felt hungry at all three meals, which was exciting for me because this isn't always the case. I got too full during dinner to finish the sweet potato chips, which was a huge win for me because traditionally I don't stop when I'm full. It was a pretty busy day at work. I like busy days because I forget all about food. It just isn't as important as the work I have to get done. I moved around a lot at work today, rather than just sitting at my desk and I think that was good for my mental and physical health. 

 

I thought about the Arctic Zone ice cream again on my drive home tonight. I thought about how lame it would be to eat it and then have to admit it on today's blog post right after I finished saying it was a lame idea to buy it yesterday! This situation made me realize just how helpful sharing what I eat with the public truly is. Now that I think about it, the fact that I know I'm going to have to post what I eat each day, stops me from making a lot of bad food choices that I would normally have just caved and ate. Sometimes when I'm tempted to eat something unhealthy, I think to myself that maybe I just won't put it on my post that night. The thought of lying or not being fully truthful makes me feel terrible! I know it sounds cheesy, but I'd really just be lying to myself. 

 

I felt some weight frustrations yesterday when I saw myself in the mirror during yoga. There are still so many pounds to lose and so many yoga poses that I can't even fathom being able to do someday. But, I need to be real with myself and realize that I have certainly made progress both with weight loss and with yoga. My stomach is smaller and I'm surprising myself with some of the balancing I'm able to do on my yoga mat. I look at before and after pictures on instagram a lot for motivation and I've noticed that it really does take several months for big goals to be reached. It feels like I've been eating clean forrreeeevvverrr, but it hasn't even been 2 months! I can honestly say that I don't see myself giving up this time around. Healthy just feels too awesome and the excitement of how I'll look, feel, and perform in a few more months keeps me going! 

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First... I love that you had a hot dog with breakfast, thats such a European thing to me. On more than one occassion we've ordered breakfast and expected a "breakfast sausage" but really it was a hot dog like you would have on the 4th of July. I feel where you're coming from on the weight loss, but seriously... look at the very first line of your post. Day 57... thats all. We completed a whole 30 and you're not even complete with another 30 days since we've finished, you should be so incredibly amazed that you came so far in 57 days. Sure, you may feel like you have awhile to go, but dont' let that derail you. Maybe think of something far off, like at the end of this summer buy a bathing suit on sale that you know you  want to wear next summer, or a summer dress or something like that. I'm trying to find something far off to keep me motivated. I turned 30 right before our Whole 30, and I would love to look back at my next birthday and go , wow 30 isn't bad, look at how much I've accomplished in this last year!

 

I also think we need to find our postive motivators, and seek them out if neccessary. I posted a few weeks ago about the bod-pod analysis that I did that made me feel really confident in my choices and how my body is changing. Today I had to take my PT test at work, and I am typically a train wreck. If you score over a 90 you don't have to take it again for a year, if you score under a 90 you have to take it again in 6 months, and if you score under a 75 you fail. When I tested in January I was between 75 and 80, the lowest I ever scored and I felt so defeated. A lot of factors went into why I did so poorly... I came out of a job where i had practically no time to invest in myself (aka work out), I scaled back my workouts because I thought I was getting surgery, and I also had pain because my hip is jacked up.... in fact my scores on this test have dropped with every test in the 2.5 years I've been injured. HOWEVER.... I tested today and I got an 88. I recieved full points for my waist measurement and my sit-ups, I got 8/10 points for pushups (I'm not good at pushups) and I ran a 15:16 mile and a half, so about a 10 minute mile. Now, many of my co-workers probably wouldn't be happy with those numbers, but I was so happy that I scored an 88... thats about 10 points higher than 6 months ago. It was such a confidence booster, knowing that I have to test again in 6 months that I am so close to a 90. I would like to test again in 3 months before I have my surgery and my goal right now is to score a 90 so I don't have to worry about having to rush my training when I'm recovering.

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Guest bfree11

Day 58 (of healthy eating)

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs, hot dog, nectarine, 1/2 bell pepper black coffee 

Lunch: salad with chicken, veggies, balsamic and oil, nuts & seeds, 1/2 avocado, kombucha

Dinner: grass-fed ground beef with a clean Trader Joe's taco seasoning, 1/2 avocado, frozen veggies, 5 walnuts, 5 cashews

Exercise: Power Flow Yoga

 

Two main topics I want to focus on today:

 

1. "The Sugar Dragon"

I have a close friend at work who struggles with emotional eating, sugar addiction, and is overweight. She has tried to eat Whole 30 style meals, but hasn't been able to make it stick for more than a few meals in a row. She has also tried yoga with me and just got a monthly membership. She wants to lose weight, but finds herself eating a croissant or french fries throughout the day because her cravings are so strong. She doesn't eat breakfast, is always tired and saying she just wants to go sleep, has symptoms of depression, feels bloated, has trouble with her skin, etc. These are ALL things I've struggled with too! Through clean eating and severely limiting my sugar intake, I have sleighed my Sugar Dragon, and after hearing this friend list off all of these miserable symptoms today, it made me feel so grateful for the hard work I've done.

 

I told her that she's tired, having cravings, and down in the dumps because she's running on sugar and super addicted. I remember being in that vicious cycle! I'd be so tired and unhappy that I'd comfort myself with the junk I was craving, which only led me to feel more gross and then gain more weight. Breaking free from emotional eating (also the title of a life-changing book by Geneen Roth) has been one of the best decisions I've ever made. I don't have to deal with all those yucky feeling that my friend is feeling anymore. I don't think salads are boring anymore, I think they're refreshing, clean, and nourishing. I love having energy and looking forward to my workouts. I love seeing progress in the mirror rather than more weight gain. The Sugar Dragon can seriously ruin a person's life. It's hard to hear my friend complain everyday because to me the answer is clear, STOP EATING CRAP. JUST STOP. Yeah it sucks, but come on, feeling miserable everyday sucks more, amiright? I am supportive and non-judgmental with her because I've been where she is for almost my entire life. I hope she finds the strength to be kinder to her body someday soon. Selfishly, it feels so good to hear how awful a life of emotional eating and sugar addiction is because it reminds me how good of a choice I made and how worth it clean eating is!

 

2. Exercise for Weight Loss

This very same friend and I have been having a lot of discussions about exercise for weight loss lately. She believes that hours of cardio is the way to go and I believe that it isn't 1984 anymore and strength training is the ticket.

Hear me out: 

1. You can make strength training into "cardio" by increasing speed

2. Strength training builds muscle. Muscle burns fat to use it for fuel. I'll take the muscles.

3. Intervals of increased heart rate can be achieved through weight lifting and body weight exercises.

4. Long cardio sessions with no strength training will cause you to lose muscle in addition to fat, which is totally lame. 

 

Now, I'm NOT saying that running or the elliptical or spinning is bad! NOT AT ALL! I'm saying that sitting on the elliptical for 2 hours everyday is not the ideal exercise for long-term, sustainable weight loss in my VERY NON-EXPERT opinion. (My friend says that being on the elliptical for hours is her favorite way to work out.) I think a varied approach is great. I like to go for bike rides or runs a few times a week because it's fun, good for my heart, and burns calories, but I also do strength training to build muscle. 

 

Now here's where it gets even more awkward. I believe that my yoga classes are strength training and cardio. My friend does not agree. The more people I talk to, the more it seems there is a stigma around yoga not actually being much of a workout. I agree that slow, basic, beginner, restorative, meditative classes are more of a mental workout than a physical one, but my power flow classes and hot classes are one hell of a workout. Ask any fit person in there! It's just not the type of workout that our society is used to. The muscles in my legs, arms, and core are growing everyday. They feel more defined and I've seen gains in my performance. My yoga classes are filled with push ups, planks, balancing movements, fast-paced sequences of moving around to various positions, etc. It's not just stretching! Everyone is drenched in sweat and begging for a rest to grab their water bottles, and I'm talking really fit, muscular people! 

 

I know there's a lot of different schools of thought when it comes to exercise, but I'm specifically talking about exercise for weight loss. It frustrates me when people have old school views (i.e. eating egg yolks is bad for you) and I feel like I have to defend myself. My friend who says yoga isn't enough of a workout for weight loss has spent all 3 yoga classes she's attended dripping in sweat and resorting to child's pose because she's exhausted and it's too hard. Yes, she's right that yoga doesn't speed up your heart rate the same way sprinting does, but it affects your breathing and heart rate in other ways. Many of the poses require the tightening of so many core muscle that it makes it easy to hold your breath. Forcing yourself to breath through it is really challenging. 

 

I think I've vented enough! I definitely started second guessing myself today and thinking about whether I should be exercising more and if yoga truly is a good workout, but the more I think about it, the more benefits I see in using yoga as my main source of exercise, with a few bike rides/runs each week. Everyone is different and we all have different goals. I think the most important thing is to find something active that you truly enjoy doing so it doesn't feel like a chore. I never dread going to yoga, I'm always so excited to push myself to new limits and strengthen my muscles!

 

What do YOU think?

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Day 58 (of healthy eating)

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs, hot dog, nectarine, 1/2 bell pepper black coffee 

Lunch: salad with chicken, veggies, balsamic and oil, nuts & seeds, 1/2 avocado, kombucha

Dinner: grass-fed ground beef with a clean Trader Joe's taco seasoning, 1/2 avocado, frozen veggies, 5 walnuts, 5 cashews

Exercise: Power Flow Yoga

 

Two main topics I want to focus on today:

 

1. "The Sugar Dragon"

I have a close friend at work who struggles with emotional eating, sugar addiction, and is overweight. She has tried to eat Whole 30 style meals, but hasn't been able to make it stick for more than a few meals in a row. She has also tried yoga with me and just got a monthly membership. She wants to lose weight, but finds herself eating a croissant or french fries throughout the day because her cravings are so strong. She doesn't eat breakfast, is always tired and saying she just wants to go sleep, has symptoms of depression, feels bloated, has trouble with her skin, etc. These are ALL things I've struggled with too! Through clean eating and severely limiting my sugar intake, I have sleighed my Sugar Dragon, and after hearing this friend list off all of these miserable symptoms today, it made me feel so grateful for the hard work I've done. 

 

I told her that she's tired, having cravings, and down in the dumps because she's running on sugar and super addicted. I remember being in that vicious cycle! I'd be so tired and unhappy that I'd comfort myself with the junk I was craving, which only led me to feel more gross and then gain more weight. Breaking free from emotional eating (also the title of a life-changing book by Geneen Roth) has been one of the best decisions I've ever made. I don't have to deal with all those yucky feeling that my friend is feeling anymore. I don't think salads are boring anymore, I think they're refreshing, clean, and nourishing. I love having energy and looking forward to my workouts. I love seeing progress in the mirror rather than more weight gain. The Sugar Dragon can seriously ruin a person's life. It's hard to hear my friend complain everyday because to me the answer is clear, STOP EATING CRAP. JUST STOP. Yeah it sucks, but come on, feeling miserable everyday sucks more, amiright? I am supportive and non-judgmental with her because I've been where she is for almost my entire life. I hope she finds the strength to be kinder to her body someday soon. Selfishly, it feels so good to hear how awful a life of emotional eating and sugar addiction is because it reminds me how good of a choice I made and how worth it clean eating is!

 

2. Exercise for Weight Loss

This very same friend and I have been having a lot of discussions about exercise for weight loss lately. She believes that hours of cardio is the way to go and I believe that it isn't 1984 anymore and strength training is the ticket. 

Hear me out: 

1. You can make strength training into "cardio" by increasing speed

2. Strength training builds muscle. Muscle burns fat to use it for fuel. I'll take the muscles.

3. Intervals of increased heart rate can be achieved through weight lifting and body weight exercises.

4. Long cardio sessions with no strength training will cause you to lose muscle in addition to fat, which is totally lame. 

 

Now, I'm NOT saying that running or the elliptical or spinning is bad! NOT AT ALL! I'm saying that sitting on the elliptical for 2 hours everyday is not the ideal exercise for long-term, sustainable weight loss in my VERY NON-EXPERT opinion. (My friend says that being on the elliptical for hours is her favorite way to work out.) I think a varied approach is great. I like to go for bike rides or runs a few times a week because it's fun, good for my heart, and burns calories, but I also do strength training to build muscle. 

 

Now here's where it gets even more awkward. I believe that my yoga classes are strength training and cardio. My friend does not agree. The more people I talk to, the more it seems there is a stigma around yoga not actually being much of a workout. I agree that slow, basic, beginner, restorative, meditative classes are more of a mental workout than a physical one, but my power flow classes and hot classes are one hell of a workout. Ask any fit person in there! It's just not the type of workout that our society is used to. The muscles in my legs, arms, and core are growing everyday. They feel more defined and I've seen gains in my performance. My yoga classes are filled with push ups, planks, balancing movements, fast-paced sequences of moving around to various positions, etc. It's not just stretching! Everyone is drenched in sweat and begging for a rest to grab their water bottles, and I'm talking really fit, muscular people! 

 

I know there's a lot of different schools of thought when it comes to exercise, but I'm specifically talking about exercise for weight loss. It frustrates me when people have old school views (i.e. eating egg yolks is bad for you) and I feel like I have to defend myself. My friend who says yoga isn't enough of a workout for weight loss has spent all 3 yoga classes she's attended dripping in sweat and resorting to child's pose because she's exhausted and it's too hard. Yes, she's right that yoga doesn't speed up your heart rate the same way sprinting does, but it affects your breathing and heart rate in other ways. Many of the poses require the tightening of so many core muscle that it makes it easy to hold your breath. Forcing yourself to breath through it is really challenging. 

 

I think I've vented enough! I definitely started second guessing myself today and thinking about whether I should be exercising more and if yoga truly is a good workout, but the more I think about it, the more benefits I see in using yoga as my main source of exercise, with a few bike rides/runs each week. Everyone is different and we all have different goals. I think the most important thing is to find something active that you truly enjoy doing so it doesn't feel like a chore. I never dread going to yoga, I'm always so excited to push myself to new limits and strengthen my muscles!

 

What do YOU think?

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First... I love that you had a hot dog with breakfast, thats such a European thing to me. On more than one occassion we've ordered breakfast and expected a "breakfast sausage" but really it was a hot dog like you would have on the 4th of July. I feel where you're coming from on the weight loss, but seriously... look at the very first line of your post. Day 57... thats all. We completed a whole 30 and you're not even complete with another 30 days since we've finished, you should be so incredibly amazed that you came so far in 57 days. Sure, you may feel like you have awhile to go, but dont' let that derail you. Maybe think of something far off, like at the end of this summer buy a bathing suit on sale that you know you  want to wear next summer, or a summer dress or something like that. I'm trying to find something far off to keep me motivated. I turned 30 right before our Whole 30, and I would love to look back at my next birthday and go , wow 30 isn't bad, look at how much I've accomplished in this last year!

 

I also think we need to find our postive motivators, and seek them out if neccessary. I posted a few weeks ago about the bod-pod analysis that I did that made me feel really confident in my choices and how my body is changing. Today I had to take my PT test at work, and I am typically a train wreck. If you score over a 90 you don't have to take it again for a year, if you score under a 90 you have to take it again in 6 months, and if you score under a 75 you fail. When I tested in January I was between 75 and 80, the lowest I ever scored and I felt so defeated. A lot of factors went into why I did so poorly... I came out of a job where i had practically no time to invest in myself (aka work out), I scaled back my workouts because I thought I was getting surgery, and I also had pain because my hip is jacked up.... in fact my scores on this test have dropped with every test in the 2.5 years I've been injured. HOWEVER.... I tested today and I got an 88. I recieved full points for my waist measurement and my sit-ups, I got 8/10 points for pushups (I'm not good at pushups) and I ran a 15:16 mile and a half, so about a 10 minute mile. Now, many of my co-workers probably wouldn't be happy with those numbers, but I was so happy that I scored an 88... thats about 10 points higher than 6 months ago. It was such a confidence booster, knowing that I have to test again in 6 months that I am so close to a 90. I would like to test again in 3 months before I have my surgery and my goal right now is to score a 90 so I don't have to worry about having to rush my training when I'm recovering.

I love your advice of thinking "far off." Such a good idea. If we keep these good behaviors and food choices for an entire year, we will totally reach our goals! I think it's worth the wait! OMG your PT results are AMAZING!!! You are so fit! Those results combined with your bod pod results are proof that you're doing it right! So motivating! I feel that way when there's something in yoga that gets easier or when clothes are looser, but having concrete numbers to prove that you've made serious progress is amazing! So proud of you!!!

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AH I know people like your friend before and that is so frustrating. So I've been listening to a LOT of podcasts recently... mainly because German radio is so crazy, but I've been listening to the Primal Blueprint, the Chalene Show, NomNomPaleo in addition to a slew of NPR shows :). Anyway, a lot of their shows when talking about exercise mention that the high intensity interval training (HIIT) is the way to go, not jumping on an eliptical for hours. I used to do the eliptical thing too, and you know where it got me... lol no where. There is a reason crossfitters are in shape, because they're combining strength training with such intensity that they get a cardio workout. I love weight training, I like lifting heavy things, but I can't do crossfit right now with my injuries but I really liked it when I did it. So I think you have a lot of great points, no jumping on a machine for hours may get you somewhere but not where you need to be. Yoga is a great workout, I think the class intensity depends on how good of a "cardio" workout you get, but no matter what the class you're strength training. I've never been to a yoga class where I was like oh that was easy, or I said Oh I did every move. Because I can't! Plus the additional benefits like mindfulness and flexibility are bonuses that other workouts don't give you. My husband falls into this line of thinking sometimes because he's barely worked out a day in his life. When I get upset about my weight or athletic capabilities he counters with asking me why am I doing weights, I should just be going out and running everyday. He had a co-worker who was fat and overweight and now is running marathons and lost a ton of weight, and I told him yes that helps but its not everything. He doesn't get it, so he doesn't understand why I strength train, but I don't think he'll understand it until I can prove it with results.

 

My parents adhere to that old school diet thinking... I've been realizing recently that I think thats why I was so mentally messed up by food. My parents were ALWAYS on a diet and never overweight. I grew up dealing with weight watchers, the cabbage soup diet, atkins, you name it. I don't know what they're currently doing but I know its not something I agree with. My mom got diagnosed with high cholesterol like 2 years ago and she told me everything she was cutting out (this was before I knew whole 30), and I told her I disagreed with a lot of what she was doing because those are old unproven ideas and things have changed. I could tell she was nodding over the phone but wouldn't change a thing. Being from NY they eat bagels every morning for breakfast (which I used to do too) my dad does egg whites and smoothies, but to be honest, even since being on Whole 30 I haven't tried to talk to them about anything because it will be absolutely useless. I sent my mom the link to the page (she doesn't read books) but I know they won't listen. I think the only way they may consider it is if they see significant changes in me, and when they come to visit in September they'll be forced to eat the way we do, lol.

 

Ok so after that long rant, I think your friend isn't going to change her mind for anything until she realizes that what she is doing isn't working. And maybe a year down the road she'll see you and go oh wow maybe I should have listened. I also wouldn't try to give her help or tips or anything because it sounds like she'll blow them off, BUT I would continue to challenge her when she brings things up like if she mentions something that is conflicting with your beliefs on diet or exercise ask her why she thinks that way, and who said it and why they should be believed. I do this with my mom all the time and it drives her crazy, like if she says, well they say not to eat egg yolks.. and I go who is they? well they raise your cholesterol... I say do they? How do you know? Have you read the research? Because the studies I"ve looked into say blah blah blah. Its fruitless obviously but I think bc it annoys me so much I enjoy the challenge.

 

Keep doing yoga, and maybe eventually add in some other higher intensity workouts. My best friend is a yoga instructor and that is her main level of fitness, but occassionally she'll drop into cross fit classes, or barre classes and stuff like that to keep it interesting. I plan on going back to yoga in August and I'm pretty excited about it :)

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Day 59 (of healthy eating)

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs, hot dog, strawberries, frozen veggies, black coffee 

Lunch: salad with steak (only ate a few bites of steak), veggies, balsamic and oil, nuts & seeds, 1/2 avocado, kombucha

Dinner: sweet potato glass noodles, kale slaw, steak, broccoli (sprinkled with parmesan), coconut ginger sauce

Exercise: Hot Yoga

 

Exactly one month ago, I was gearing up for my last day of Whole 30 and feeling super nervous for what it would feel like to "take the training wheels off." I was worried that once I started eating non-compliant foods, I'd spiral out of control. I'm happy to report that so far, this has not happened! I've definitely tried to incorporate non-compliant foods into my diet that I don't consider "foods without brakes," but I find that these things always mess with my stomach and mood. For example, today I ate marinated steak on my salad. I found out that it was a soy honey marinade, which is not Whole 30 approved, but I decided to eat it anyway because this is life after Whole 30. As soon as I started eating the steak, however, I felt a weird gurgling in my stomach. My friend thinks it's all in my head. Like, since I know it's not super healthy, I convince myself that it's making me sick. I'm not sure, that could be part of it, who knows. As soon as I felt that yucky feeling in my stomach, I stopped eating the steak. In my post Whole 30 life I've learned that it's okay to try things that are non-compliant, but if they make me feel badly in any way, even emotionally, then it's also okay to stop eating them. I like this because I don't ever have to feel deprived. I can try whatever I want, but if it has negative effects on me, then I have to stop. 

 

I did have a bit of a moral dilemma when a coworker brought a bunch of treats from a new gluten-free coffee shop in town. There were cupcakes, cookies, breads, etc. He laid it all out on the table and encouraged me to try everything. I told him thank you, but just because something is gluten-free, doesn't mean that it's not loaded with sugar. It's sad, but there are seriously people out there that think eating a cupcake that is gluten-free is "healthy." Yikes. I went and looked at all of the the beautiful treats and then calmly went back to my desk. 

 

Then a series of thoughts started going through my head:

1. Why is no one attacking the treats!? How do they have such strong self-control. 

2. If I wasn't eating healthy, I'd dive right into that stuff!

3. I'm not even hungry and it's almost lunch time. If I eat this stuff, then I won't be hungry for lunch.

4. But, I am genuinely curious what it all tastes like. I do find the gluten-free movement interesting.

5. Should I do it? Am I depriving myself if I don't?

 

Finally the coworker who brought them in encouraged me to try them. I told him they weren't healthy. He didn't pressure me, but he shared his opinion with me. He felt that having a taste of a few treats from a gluten-free bakery was not the most dangerous thing in the world. I work in the culinary world. We are always trying and discussing foods and restaurants. I knew this stuff wasn't healthy, but it was from a really special cafe that we've all been talking about and I really wanted to taste their stuff! It took a lot of back and forth, but eventually I decided that trying the treats was indeed "worth it" to me.

 

I took a fork and tried a small bite of a cupcake. The sugary icing was like a slap in the face! I was not used to all that sugar and it tasted weird. The cupcake itself was delicious though, very interesting flavor. I tried a small bite of the cookie, eh, not that good. Next. I pinched off a tiny piece of the bread, eh it wasn't bad. Then, I went back to my desk and continued working. I didn't think about the treats again. I didn't care that there were still some leftover. I wanted to research how they all tasted, I did, and then I moved on. No regrets, no shame. My portions were controlled, I put a lot of thought into it before making my decision, and I wasn't just mindlessly stuffing my face. I wasn't eating junk for the sake of eating junk. I say no to junk food offers all the time. This was special and I mindfully enjoyed my tiny bites. I didn't awaken the "Sugar Dragon." I like being healthy way more than I like treats. 

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Day 59 (of healthy eating)

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs, hot dog, strawberries, frozen veggies, black coffee 

Lunch: salad with steak (only ate a few bites of steak), veggies, balsamic and oil, nuts & seeds, 1/2 avocado, kombucha

Dinner: sweet potato glass noodles, kale slaw, steak, broccoli (sprinkled with parmesan), coconut ginger sauce

Exercise: Hot Yoga

 

Exactly one month ago, I was gearing up for my last day of Whole 30 and feeling super nervous for what it would feel like to "take the training wheels off." I was worried that once I started eating non-compliant foods, I'd spiral out of control. I'm happy to report that so far, this has not happened! I've definitely tried to incorporate non-compliant foods into my diet that I don't consider "foods without brakes," but I find that these things always mess with my stomach and mood. For example, today I ate marinated steak on my salad. I found out that it was a soy honey marinade, which is not Whole 30 approved, but I decided to eat it anyway because this is life after Whole 30. As soon as I started eating the steak, however, I felt a weird gurgling in my stomach. My friend thinks it's all in my head. Like, since I know it's not super healthy, I convince myself that it's making me sick. I'm not sure, that could be part of it, who knows. As soon as I felt that yucky feeling in my stomach, I stopped eating the steak. In my post Whole 30 life I've learned that it's okay to try things that are non-compliant, but if they make me feel badly in any way, even emotionally, then it's also okay to stop eating them. I like this because I don't ever have to feel deprived. I can try whatever I want, but if it has negative effects on me, then I have to stop. 

 

I did have a bit of a moral dilemma when a coworker brought a bunch of treats from a new gluten-free coffee shop in town. There were cupcakes, cookies, breads, etc. He laid it all out on the table and encouraged me to try everything. I told him thank you, but just because something is gluten-free, doesn't mean that it's not loaded with sugar. It's sad, but there are seriously people out there that think eating a cupcake that is gluten-free is "healthy." Yikes. I went and looked at all of the the beautiful treats and then calmly went back to my desk. 

 

Then a series of thoughts started going through my head:

1. Why is no one attacking the treats!? How do they have such strong self-control. 

2. If I wasn't eating healthy, I'd dive right into that stuff!

3. I'm not even hungry and it's almost lunch time. If I eat this stuff, then I won't be hungry for lunch.

4. But, I am genuinely curious what it all tastes like. I do find the gluten-free movement interesting.

5. Should I do it? Am I depriving myself if I don't?

 

Finally the coworker who brought them in encouraged me to try them. I told him they weren't healthy. He didn't pressure me, but he shared his opinion with me. He felt that having a taste of a few treats from a gluten-free bakery was not the most dangerous thing in the world. I work in the culinary world. We are always trying and discussing foods and restaurants. I knew this stuff wasn't healthy, but it was from a really special cafe that we've all been talking about and I really wanted to taste their stuff! It took a lot of back and forth, but eventually I decided that trying the treats was indeed "worth it" to me.

 

I took a fork and tried a small bite of a cupcake. The sugary icing was like a slap in the face! I was not used to all that sugar and it tasted weird. The cupcake itself was delicious though, very interesting flavor. I tried a small bite of the cookie, eh, not that good. Next. I pinched off a tiny piece of the bread, eh it wasn't bad. Then, I went back to my desk and continued working. I didn't think about the treats again. I didn't care that there were still some leftover. I wanted to research how they all tasted, I did, and then I moved on. No regrets, no shame. My portions were controlled, I put a lot of thought into it before making my decision, and I wasn't just mindlessly stuffing my face. I wasn't eating junk for the sake of eating junk. I say no to junk food offers all the time. This was special and I mindfully enjoyed my tiny bites. I didn't awaken the "Sugar Dragon." I like being healthy way more than I like treats. 

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AH I know people like your friend before and that is so frustrating. So I've been listening to a LOT of podcasts recently... mainly because German radio is so crazy, but I've been listening to the Primal Blueprint, the Chalene Show, NomNomPaleo in addition to a slew of NPR shows :). Anyway, a lot of their shows when talking about exercise mention that the high intensity interval training (HIIT) is the way to go, not jumping on an eliptical for hours. I used to do the eliptical thing too, and you know where it got me... lol no where. There is a reason crossfitters are in shape, because they're combining strength training with such intensity that they get a cardio workout. I love weight training, I like lifting heavy things, but I can't do crossfit right now with my injuries but I really liked it when I did it. So I think you have a lot of great points, no jumping on a machine for hours may get you somewhere but not where you need to be. Yoga is a great workout, I think the class intensity depends on how good of a "cardio" workout you get, but no matter what the class you're strength training. I've never been to a yoga class where I was like oh that was easy, or I said Oh I did every move. Because I can't! Plus the additional benefits like mindfulness and flexibility are bonuses that other workouts don't give you. My husband falls into this line of thinking sometimes because he's barely worked out a day in his life. When I get upset about my weight or athletic capabilities he counters with asking me why am I doing weights, I should just be going out and running everyday. He had a co-worker who was fat and overweight and now is running marathons and lost a ton of weight, and I told him yes that helps but its not everything. He doesn't get it, so he doesn't understand why I strength train, but I don't think he'll understand it until I can prove it with results.

 

My parents adhere to that old school diet thinking... I've been realizing recently that I think thats why I was so mentally messed up by food. My parents were ALWAYS on a diet and never overweight. I grew up dealing with weight watchers, the cabbage soup diet, atkins, you name it. I don't know what they're currently doing but I know its not something I agree with. My mom got diagnosed with high cholesterol like 2 years ago and she told me everything she was cutting out (this was before I knew whole 30), and I told her I disagreed with a lot of what she was doing because those are old unproven ideas and things have changed. I could tell she was nodding over the phone but wouldn't change a thing. Being from NY they eat bagels every morning for breakfast (which I used to do too) my dad does egg whites and smoothies, but to be honest, even since being on Whole 30 I haven't tried to talk to them about anything because it will be absolutely useless. I sent my mom the link to the page (she doesn't read books) but I know they won't listen. I think the only way they may consider it is if they see significant changes in me, and when they come to visit in September they'll be forced to eat the way we do, lol.

 

Ok so after that long rant, I think your friend isn't going to change her mind for anything until she realizes that what she is doing isn't working. And maybe a year down the road she'll see you and go oh wow maybe I should have listened. I also wouldn't try to give her help or tips or anything because it sounds like she'll blow them off, BUT I would continue to challenge her when she brings things up like if she mentions something that is conflicting with your beliefs on diet or exercise ask her why she thinks that way, and who said it and why they should be believed. I do this with my mom all the time and it drives her crazy, like if she says, well they say not to eat egg yolks.. and I go who is they? well they raise your cholesterol... I say do they? How do you know? Have you read the research? Because the studies I"ve looked into say blah blah blah. Its fruitless obviously but I think bc it annoys me so much I enjoy the challenge.

 

Keep doing yoga, and maybe eventually add in some other higher intensity workouts. My best friend is a yoga instructor and that is her main level of fitness, but occassionally she'll drop into cross fit classes, or barre classes and stuff like that to keep it interesting. I plan on going back to yoga in August and I'm pretty excited about it :)

First of all, thank you so much for taking the time to write such a thoughtful, helpful response! You're the best, seriously. I used to do crossfit, but I got a little to crazy with it and ended up having to get back surgery. I found that it was hard not to sacrifice form when lifting weights for speed. My form would get sloppy or I'd have a big ego and try to lift way too heavy. My coach just kept pushing me and didn't teach me to listen to my body. I know a lot of people have great experiences with crossfit, I just got unlucky and had a terrible coach. Since my back surgery, I haven't reentered the crossfit world, but occasionally I'll do some light squats and deadlifts or something. I'm pretty pleased with the muscle I'm building just from yoga. I can see definition all over my body that definitely wasn't there before! I'll still be sure to run/bike ride a few times a week to keep my workouts varied. Yoga makes me happy and that's kind of my priority right now I guess. Plus, weight loss is way more about diet than exercise.

 

Thank you for the advice about how to deal with my friend. You're totally right. When your parents and my friends see the changes in our bodies, moods, etc, they will finally understand. That is so motivating for me to think about! I also appreciate you advising me not to give her tips and stuff because you're right, it just ends up making me feel disappointed. Everyone is on their own journey. I remember vividly being where she is and I'm so glad I don't think that way anymore. I'm just so excited to see what my body will look like over the next months/year!

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Day 60 (of healthy eating)

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1 hotdog, small handful of nuts, frozen veggies, black coffee

Lunch: chicken, green beans, yuca fries (sorry not sorry), kombucha

Dinner: grass-fed burger, 1/2 avocado, 

Exercise: Power Flow Yoga

 

60 days of being a healthy person in the books. It's funny because 60 days sounds really long and badass, but 2 months sounds like nothing. I'm sticking to my plan of not weighing myself, even though 60 days is a milestone. It's not worth the damage that seeing that number will cause. I will, however, take pictures tomorrow morning like I did on Day 0 and Day 30. I'm really excited to see if I can notice a difference.

 

I feel like I'm in a rush to look thin so that I can feel more confident and attractive and perform better in yoga classes. But one thing I keep forgetting is that the way I'm eating now isn't going to change. It's not like "ooo I can't wait until I'm 130 lb so I can stop dieting." I'm just a healthy eater now. The thin people I know that are health-conscious eat very similarly to how I'm eating. I've always thought saying "it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle" was kind of cheesy, but it's totally true!

 

Bottom line, I just need to sit back, relax, and let time go by. It's counterproductive for me to constantly freak out and wonder if I'm doing it right. I'm not doing anything, this isn't a diet, I'm just being a healthy person. I'm just going to keep on keeping on and I truly believe that I will reach my goal in less than a year. 

 

I wanted to switch up my lunch a little today because I've been having salads so often, but as I was eating my lunch, I missed my salads! I got the yuca fries (they gave me 4), which are a lot thicker than regular fries, but I don't feel like I opened a can of worms and now I'm craving more fried stuff. I actually just want clean, fresh, healthy stuff! I like eating foods that make me feel physically AND emotionally good after eating them.

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Day 60 (of healthy eating)

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1 hotdog, small handful of nuts, frozen veggies, black coffee

Lunch: chicken, green beans, yuca fries (sorry not sorry), kombucha

Dinner: grass-fed burger, 1/2 avocado, 

Exercise: Power Flow Yoga

 

60 days of being a healthy person in the books. It's funny because 60 days sounds really long and badass, but 2 months sounds like nothing. I'm sticking to my plan of not weighing myself, even though 60 days is a milestone. It's not worth the damage that seeing that number will cause. I will, however, take pictures tomorrow morning like I did on Day 0 and Day 30. I'm really excited to see if I can notice a difference.

 

I feel like I'm in a rush to look thin so that I can feel more confident and attractive and perform better in yoga classes. But one thing I keep forgetting is that the way I'm eating now isn't going to change. It's not like "ooo I can't wait until I'm 130 lb so I can stop dieting." I'm just a healthy eater now. The thin people I know that are health-conscious eat very similarly to how I'm eating. I've always thought saying "it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle" was kind of cheesy, but it's totally true!

 

Bottom line, I just need to sit back, relax, and let time go by. It's counterproductive for me to constantly freak out and wonder if I'm doing it right. I'm not doing anything, this isn't a diet, I'm just being a healthy person. I'm just going to keep on keeping on and I truly believe that I will reach my goal in less than a year. 

 

I wanted to switch up my lunch a little today because I've been having salads so often, but as I was eating my lunch, I missed my salads! I got the yuca fries (they gave me 4), which are a lot thicker than regular fries, but I don't feel like I opened a can of worms and now I'm craving more fried stuff. I actually just want clean, fresh, healthy stuff! I like eating foods that make me feel physically AND emotionally good after eating them.

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bfree - although not part of this group I have been reading the posts here since I started my whole30 journey on the same day and as I'm on day 13 of my second whole30 I just wanted to say that I I've found it really helpful to read what you've been writing and also the way in which you and higgles have been supporting each other.

 

From a distance (metaphorically and literally - I'm based in the UK) I have found the following things really insightful and helpful to me:

 

1. I am doing then whole30 because when I read "It Starts with Food" I felt that it was the first time I'd been able to define some of the things that I'd experienced and it created a strong understanding of why certain 'foods without brakes' were not only making me feel unwell but causing me to put on weight - both from a quantity eaten perspective and from the cravings for sugar and carbs overload perspective as these are the things that are most available in my life where I travel a lot by train and plane for work.  I have found it really helpful to read of you overcoming your temptation to eat those things put in front of you by others that you don't want to eat because you have a deeper understanding of your own relationship with food and your own goals around health and fitness.

 

2. The previous ways I've tried to manage my eating, health and weight have continued to reinforce a pattern of 'when I get to this weight….life will be….' thoughts whereas I can see that although I'm having many of the same struggles that you have written about you've helped me to formulate a mental attitude that is much more about 'this is what life will be like on the eating front for as long as I choose to manage my health and well-being'.  I have really started to take note of what others around me are eating and how much and how often they do it.   Really, it seems to me that most of those who are very conscious about their health and wellbeing do something akin to whole30 unconsciously…the other thing I notice is just how much food there is out there that we are unconsciously eating all the time.  I've really noticed this as the mother of an 9YO. So. Much. Sugar.

 

3. Doing whole30 is part of the habits work I've been working on as a result of reading each of Gretchen Rubin's books in the first four months of this year.   She talks about the differences between being an abstainer and a moderator: https://gretchenrubin.com/happiness_project/2012/10/back-by-popular-demand-are-you-an-abstainer-or-a-moderator/ Thismade me realise that I am definitely not a moderator (cue: link with food without brakes!) but that I find abstinence from certain foods a lot easier than just having one of something.  I'm sitting typing this in the kitchen where family food of crisps, ice-cream, jelly-babies and jelly-tots are all in my line of vision and I find it easier to resist these because I think of myself as a person who doesn't eat those things.   My slim sister always answers the question 'would you like a piece of cake?' with the answer 'no, thanks, I don't eat cake' and no-one ever raises an eyebrow and this has become my way of managing a lot through the whole30 - not telling people what I'm doing (it has yet to catch on in a big way here in the UK) but saying 'I don't eat….(usually) bread' is often the way to creating a whole30 compliant meal without going into lots of detail about it!  It is also my own trigger to think - "no, you can ask for the potato without the butter, the steak without the sauce, the cooked breakfast without the toast…." 

 

So, I just wanted to say thanks for the help and inspiration, congratulations on two consecutive whole30s and good luck with keeping it going.  You and higgles are providing me with a lot of belief about living a healthy eating life after the first 30 days…!  Thank you.

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Day 61 (of healthy-ish eating)

 

Breakfast: small handful of nuts, smoothie

Lunch: salad with veggies, nuts, seeds, avocado, chicken, balsamic & oil

Mid-Afternoon Stupidity: a few bites of an energy bar, handful of chips

Dinner: Grass-fed beef burger, organic sugar-free ketchup, 1/2 avocado, roasted spiraled butternut squash

Exercise: Rest Day

Lesson of the Day: WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T SKIP BREAKFAST!!!

I was so busy taking before and after pictures this morning, that I had to skip breakfast to make it to work on time. I grabbed a handful of nuts and ran out the door. I knew there wouldn’t be anything healthy in any drive-thru on the way to work, so I started thinking about what I could eat for breakfast at work. We don’t have a lot of breakfast options. I decided a smoothie without a bunch of fruit and sugar would be the best thing because it would be more satiating than a green juice.

 

When I got to work, I was so focused on going and getting a smoothie, that I didn’t even listen to my body. The nuts had actually filled me up for the time being. I didn’t need a smoothie, but I did it anyways. After I drank it, I felt so full. I drank it too fast and it was just too much for my system to handle. By lunch time, I was starving and enjoyed my usual salad.

But then mid-afternoon happened. A vendor dropped off all of these sample snacks and everyone was trying all the flavors. I normally would say no way and turn my back to it, but today, I joined in. It was a gloomy rainy day, which made me feel like indulging. But most of all, I blame it on not eating breakfast. I think getting off on the wrong foot first thing in the morning makes it easier for me to mess up my whole day. The snacks made my stomach feel awful and I felt so guilty. I don’t want to get back into these snacky behaviors. I also found myself immediately craving more crap afterward. I kept thinking that I already blew it, so I might as well enjoy some more junk food, but I didn’t give in.

 

In the future, I will make sure I eat breakfast, no matter what, and I just need to say no to snacks, unless they’re really really worth it. These ones were definitely not worth it. I do want to keep treats in my life on special occasions, but I don’t want to blur the lines and begin to find several special occasions every week. I’m thinking more like twice a month!

 

One more thing I'd like to add. After snacking at work this afternoon, I grumbled to a friend about skipping dinner tonight to make up for it. He told me to absolutely NOT do that because my body still needs nutrients. He was right. Of course I want to lose weight, but this is not a diet. I am not trying to count calories. I am trying to eat 3 nutrient-dense meals a day so that my body can be healthy. Weight loss has to be secondary in order for this to be sustainable. At first it seemed counterintuitive to eat a full dinner, but I get it now. 

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Guest bfree11

Day 61 (of healthy-ish eating)

 

Breakfast: small handful of nuts, smoothie

Lunch: salad with veggies, nuts, seeds, avocado, chicken, balsamic & oil

Mid-Afternoon Stupidity: a few bites of an energy bar, handful of chips

Dinner: Grass-fed beef burger, organic sugar-free ketchup, 1/2 avocado, roasted spiraled butternut squash

Exercise: Rest Day

Lesson of the Day: WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T SKIP BREAKFAST!!!

I was so busy taking before and after pictures this morning, that I had to skip breakfast to make it to work on time. I grabbed a handful of nuts and ran out the door. I knew there wouldn’t be anything healthy in any drive-thru on the way to work, so I started thinking about what I could eat for breakfast at work. We don’t have a lot of breakfast options. I decided a smoothie without a bunch of fruit and sugar would be the best thing because it would be more satiating than a green juice.

 

When I got to work, I was so focused on going and getting a smoothie, that I didn’t even listen to my body. The nuts had actually filled me up for the time being. I didn’t need a smoothie, but I did it anyways. After I drank it, I felt so full. I drank it too fast and it was just too much for my system to handle. By lunch time, I was starving and enjoyed my usual salad.

But then mid-afternoon happened. A vendor dropped off all of these sample snacks and everyone was trying all the flavors. I normally would say no way and turn my back to it, but today, I joined in. It was a gloomy rainy day, which made me feel like indulging. But most of all, I blame it on not eating breakfast. I think getting off on the wrong foot first thing in the morning makes it easier for me to mess up my whole day. The snacks made my stomach feel awful and I felt so guilty. I don’t want to get back into these snacky behaviors. I also found myself immediately craving more crap afterward. I kept thinking that I already blew it, so I might as well enjoy some more junk food, but I didn’t give in.

 

In the future, I will make sure I eat breakfast, no matter what, and I just need to say no to snacks, unless they’re really really worth it. These ones were definitely not worth it. I do want to keep treats in my life on special occasions, but I don’t want to blur the lines and begin to find several special occasions every week. I’m thinking more like twice a month!

 

One more thing I'd like to add. After snacking at work this afternoon, I grumbled to a friend about skipping dinner tonight to make up for it. He told me to absolutely NOT do that because my body still needs nutrients. He was right. Of course I want to lose weight, but this is not a diet. I am not trying to count calories. I am trying to eat 3 nutrient-dense meals a day so that my body can be healthy. Weight loss has to be secondary in order for this to be sustainable. At first it seemed counterintuitive to eat a full dinner, but I get it now. 

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bfree - although not part of this group I have been reading the posts here since I started my whole30 journey on the same day and as I'm on day 13 of my second whole30 I just wanted to say that I I've found it really helpful to read what you've been writing and also the way in which you and higgles have been supporting each other.

 

From a distance (metaphorically and literally - I'm based in the UK) I have found the following things really insightful and helpful to me:

 

1. I am doing then whole30 because when I read "It Starts with Food" I felt that it was the first time I'd been able to define some of the things that I'd experienced and it created a strong understanding of why certain 'foods without brakes' were not only making me feel unwell but causing me to put on weight - both from a quantity eaten perspective and from the cravings for sugar and carbs overload perspective as these are the things that are most available in my life where I travel a lot by train and plane for work.  I have found it really helpful to read of you overcoming your temptation to eat those things put in front of you by others that you don't want to eat because you have a deeper understanding of your own relationship with food and your own goals around health and fitness.

 

2. The previous ways I've tried to manage my eating, health and weight have continued to reinforce a pattern of 'when I get to this weight….life will be….' thoughts whereas I can see that although I'm having many of the same struggles that you have written about you've helped me to formulate a mental attitude that is much more about 'this is what life will be like on the eating front for as long as I choose to manage my health and well-being'.  I have really started to take note of what others around me are eating and how much and how often they do it.   Really, it seems to me that most of those who are very conscious about their health and wellbeing do something akin to whole30 unconsciously…the other thing I notice is just how much food there is out there that we are unconsciously eating all the time.  I've really noticed this as the mother of an 9YO. So. Much. Sugar.

 

3. Doing whole30 is part of the habits work I've been working on as a result of reading each of Gretchen Rubin's books in the first four months of this year.   She talks about the differences between being an abstainer and a moderator: https://gretchenrubin.com/happiness_project/2012/10/back-by-popular-demand-are-you-an-abstainer-or-a-moderator/ Thismade me realise that I am definitely not a moderator (cue: link with food without brakes!) but that I find abstinence from certain foods a lot easier than just having one of something.  I'm sitting typing this in the kitchen where family food of crisps, ice-cream, jelly-babies and jelly-tots are all in my line of vision and I find it easier to resist these because I think of myself as a person who doesn't eat those things.   My slim sister always answers the question 'would you like a piece of cake?' with the answer 'no, thanks, I don't eat cake' and no-one ever raises an eyebrow and this has become my way of managing a lot through the whole30 - not telling people what I'm doing (it has yet to catch on in a big way here in the UK) but saying 'I don't eat….(usually) bread' is often the way to creating a whole30 compliant meal without going into lots of detail about it!  It is also my own trigger to think - "no, you can ask for the potato without the butter, the steak without the sauce, the cooked breakfast without the toast…." 

 

So, I just wanted to say thanks for the help and inspiration, congratulations on two consecutive whole30s and good luck with keeping it going.  You and higgles are providing me with a lot of belief about living a healthy eating life after the first 30 days…!  Thank you.

 

WOW! Thank you so much for your kind, insightful words! It's so amazing to hear that not only is someone is reading all this, but that you're also finding it helpful! I loved reading the things that you've figured out so far, especially the part about how health-conscious people tend to eat Whole 30ish without even knowing it. I couldn't agree more. I watch people eat all the time and it's totally true. I find that although I still get cravings, every time I eat junk food, it hurts my stomach. Clearly these foods aren't meant for human consumption on a regular basis if my body is struggling so much with digesting it. But there's also the emotional discomfort that eating unhealthy causes me. Like today, I did some mindless snacking and it really made me feel guilty and ashamed. It also made me feel like giving up and just eating a pizza. I don't want to have this kind of relationship with food anymore!

 

Thank you for sharing Gretchen Rubin too, I've briefly read about the abstainer vs moderator stuff before, but I can't wait to dig deeper and learn more!

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Day 62 (of healthy eating)

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs (was going straight to a yoga class)

Lunch: tofu stirfry with broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, spinach, and coconut aminos

Dinner: apple, almond butter, 1/2 bell pepper, kombucha

Exercise: Hot Power Flow (by far the hardest class because it combines the fast-paced flow with the heat, oh man!)

 

Yesterday I took before and after pictures to compare Day 0, Day 30, and Day 60. I saw some improvements in the pictures and was happy about that. I decided that I would only weigh myself if I saw a difference in my before and after pictures, that way I'd be sure to see pounds lost on the scale. I can feel that my stomach is smaller and that my clothes are looser, so I figured I'd see some nice weight loss on the scale after 30 more days of clean eating. NOPE. I was down ONE POUND. Over 30 days, ONE. STINKING. POUND. This just didn't add up for me because I know I'm eating well and exercising, how could that not reflect on the scale after 30 days? From Day 0 to Day 30, I lost 9 lb. This made sense to me because I was eating like crap before my Whole 30, so naturally when I made the switch, some weight came off. But after 30 more days, I would think the scale would continue to show weight loss, even if I am gaining muscle. 

 

I was convinced my scale was broken! I was so convinced, that I went to the hardest yoga class this morning just so I could use their scale there, and sure enough, my scale at home was right. In fact, on this scale, I had actually gained a pound. My sister found this just as perplexing as I did. We've both had success losing weight in the past and are nutrition focused. I really trust her opinions when it comes to this kind of stuff. Her and I spent an hour and a half (God bless her) on the phone today analyzing my current diet and exercise plan and seeing if there were any possible tweaks that could be made. I'm serious about changing old behaviors and making this a lifestyle change so that I can be a healthier person in general, but let's be real, I want to lose this weight too! After losing no weight in 30 days, I am open to trying a few tweaks to see if my body might run better a different way.

 

So here's the plan:

 

1. No snacking at work or elsewhere on unhealthy snacky things. This is a firm rule, no exceptions.

2. Keep 6 days of yoga a week, but add 1 or 2 fast-paced bike rides as well.

3. Reduce fat intake slightly. No more clarified butter, just olive oil and coconut oil. 1/2 avocado a day max, be super careful with nuts.

4. Listen to body and eat less if I'm not feeling hungry. 

5. Don't follow Whole 30 meal template. Hear me out: I think I've been going overboard on veggies and forcing myself to eat too much sometimes when I'm not hungry just to follow the meal template, so I'm going to tweak this and observe how I do with it.

6. Incorporate in goat cheese (goat's milk is lactose free and I don't have stomach issues with it) and Siggi's yogurt (recommended by my sister)

7. Main protein sources: chicken, lean beef, organic tofu (it doesn't hurt my stomach and I don't like a lot of meats, so it's good to have another protein source), Siggi's yogurt, eggs.

 

So my meal plan looks like this:

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs, Siggi's yogurt, berries - Notice there are no veggies here. I want to see what that feels like for me.

Lunch: salad with avocado, nuts, seeds, chicken, veggies, balsamic & oil, kombucha - This is where I'll be guaranteed to get a few servings of veggies in and healthy fats. 

Dinner: tofu sirfry, cauliflower pizza with goat cheese, spaghetti squash with chicken and broccoli, etc. - Basically Whole 30, but I'm not going to force myself to have meat on the cauliflower pizza if I don't want to. I'm going to listen to my body.

 

So there you have it. That's my plan. I'll give it a try for this 3rd month and see how it goes. I'm really excited about it! I have to find what works for me. I'm still not adding in any grains, sugar (besides the sugar in the yogurt), treats, or alcohol. It's not too far off from Whole 30, but I think it addresses some particular things that weren't working for me. Time will tell!

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