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"...right now Liposcience recommends LDL-P below 1,000 nmol/L as the optimal level.  As we discussed in chapter 14, LDL-P can tend to go up much higher than this in people consuming a low-carb, high-fat diet and there is no research into what this means yet."

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In the ApoE section:

 

"Many people with the ApoE 4 genotype are very sensitive to fats, " Dr. Davis said.  "Unfortunately, it causes a lot of my cardiologist colleagues to say having ApoE 4 means you should follow a low-fat diet.  That's ridiculous!  If you have ApoE 4 and you follow a low-fat diet, you can become just as diabetic and fat as anybody else because a low-fat diet by definition is a high-carbohydrate diet.  It's wrong to say that people with ApoE 4 have to eliminate fats; they simply need to figure out the optimal amount."

 

"Once again, it all comes down to carbohydrates.  "The first order of business with somebody with ApoE 4 is to cut your carbs," Dr. Davis said.  "It's no different from anyone else because this can still be a culprit in your health.  See how it plays out with your small LDL and think about further cutting carbohydrates if the numbers aren't where you need them to be."

 

^ I know my quoting system is all messed up, but I am typing in a hurry and don't care.  ;)  I know you will understand.

 

...Maybe a book that is really worth your time, if you are worried about all of this and not sure what to believe.  

 

I do know that I've read in multiple places that for women, the overall risk of death is HIGHER if your total cholesterol is under 200......  so I am disappointed to see that as "optimal" on BJJC's results.  Makes me wonder about the rest of your results, if your lab results looked like his and if they are using outdated numbers.

 

I am going to go look at his test results a little more closely.

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Thanks for looking into it for me, Brewer. 

 

I think I will read Cholesterol Clarity. 

 

Interesting post on Jimmy's numbers in the same blog I was referencing above: http://bjjcaveman.com/2016/01/04/jimmy-moores-september-2015-post-fast-cholesterol-panel/

 

I'm going to turn my brain off from all of this for tonight and go watch a TV show with my husband. :)

 

Good night! See y'all tomorrow. 

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Good night!  (And it actually is night-time here for me; I have to get out of the habit of posting in the morning during office hours.  I do actually have a busy, demanding job, although it probably hasn't seemed like it of late).

 

I got into the mix on Brewer's Post-Whole30 log, but it seemed relevant to us as Sugar Dragon Slayers: Today was a banner day: I was still hungry after lunch so I opened a packet of coconut butter and did not eat the whole thing (first time ever I have NOT finished a pack). I just ate what I felt I needed and carried on. I also had a long internal debate about a square of 85% dark chocolate and herbal tea after dinner. I finally decided to go for it. I took two squares out of the package but realized I was satisfied with just one and PUT THE OTHER SQUARE AWAY. No eating it just because I had already "committed" to two. A small version of forgetting to eat dessert. Very liberating because i *could* have had it but I CHOSE not to.

 

Oat reintroduction tomorrow.  I'll be curious to see if the small quantity of raw cane sugar from the chocolate (my serving had <3g of carbs, of which 1g fiber and 1.2g sugar) PLUS the carbs from the oats drive cravings tomorrow.  I am committed to doing the oatmeal in a non-sweet way though.  Coconut cream and sea salt, here I come (mind you, coconut cream has its own sweetness)...The next serving will be oatmeal instead of squash for post-WO.  I haven't figured out if/how I will be incorporating oats at M3.

 

Cheers!

 

-Lauren

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I think that's a great approach, Alison. After reintroductions. Otherwise, it's hard to tell if something is worth it without knowing how it makes you feel. I reacted very differently to soy post Whole30 than before, as an example, so now I know there are a lot of soy things that would not be worth it.

 

The Whole 30 encourages two avenues for reintroduction, the formal systematic reintro and the slow-roll reintro.  It all depends on what we want to do and get out of it, so I am going to do the slow-roll reintro.  You don't have to do a systemic reintro before doing the slow-roll.  That is what I am choosing to do. :)

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Thanks, Ali!  Honestly, I am more excited about the idea of getting into training for an athletic competition (like a marathon or a swim meet) and eating to fuel that.  I'm having withdrawal pangs for my marathon running training group as I read about your training.  Are you doing all of your runs solo or do you have running buddies?  I've done long runs either way, but prefer the social experience of chit-chatting along the way.

 

I am a solo runner.  I have only run one race with another person and she complained nearly the whole time about the race being so long and are we almost there and how much further (it was a 10k), soooo I'm a little hesitant to run with other people.  I want the run to be enjoyable, not seem like a chore that I need to get through.  Besides, running is my meditation, my me-time.  I like to listen to music, go at my pace, and enjoy the thinking/pondering/meditation time. I look forward to my long Saturday runs.  I love waking up on Saturday, having a Whole 30 breakfast of eggs, bacon, either squash or baked sweet potato, and sometimes a fruit with nut butter, and CRIO BRU (need I even include this?--pretty sure it's a given at this point ;) )  Then in about 2 hours I go on my long run.  I recently downloaded some songs that are my running pace (150BPM, a 10:00 mile--nothing crazy, but respectable for a marathon, I think) so I am enjoying those songs a lot.  I am learning how to fuel my workout during my run, and I may try Sara's idea of salted dates this Saturday on my 14-mile run.  It gives me a sense of accomplishment after the run is done, and there's nothing like breathing in the cold winter air during a long run.  Love it. :)

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The reintro thing is confusing, isn't it? Because on the one hand, going whole hog is a good way to arm yourself with information about how the foods affect you. On the other hand, waiting for a "worth it" off plan food seems wise, too. And doesn't Whole 30 sort of recommend both, which are kind of mutually exclusive?

 

Yes, it's great that there are options for reintroductions.  It's nice to be able to pick our personal avenues for reintro based on how we are feeling and what we want to get out of the reintro and out of the program in general.

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Good night!  (And it actually is night-time here for me; I have to get out of the habit of posting in the morning during office hours.  I do actually have a busy, demanding job, although it probably hasn't seemed like it of late).

 

I got into the mix on Brewer's Post-Whole30 log, but it seemed relevant to us as Sugar Dragon Slayers: Today was a banner day: I was still hungry after lunch so I opened a packet of coconut butter and did not eat the whole thing (first time ever I have NOT finished a pack). I just ate what I felt I needed and carried on. I also had a long internal debate about a square of 85% dark chocolate and herbal tea after dinner. I finally decided to go for it. I took two squares out of the package but realized I was satisfied with just one and PUT THE OTHER SQUARE AWAY. No eating it just because I had already "committed" to two. A small version of forgetting to eat dessert. Very liberating because i *could* have had it but I CHOSE not to.

 

Oat reintroduction tomorrow.  I'll be curious to see if the small quantity of raw cane sugar from the chocolate (my serving had <3g of carbs, of which 1g fiber and 1.2g sugar) PLUS the carbs from the oats drive cravings tomorrow.  I am committed to doing the oatmeal in a non-sweet way though.  Coconut cream and sea salt, here I come (mind you, coconut cream has its own sweetness)...The next serving will be oatmeal instead of squash for post-WO.  I haven't figured out if/how I will be incorporating oats at M3.

 

Cheers!

 

-Lauren

 

Good luck on your oats day!  Coconut cream sounds yummy mixed into the oats!

 

That is so great that you have such self-awareness!  You are right that it is hard to stop eating something after you have pre-portioned a food for yourself, but it's great that you can stop eating once you are satisfied by eating enough of that food. :)

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The Whole 30 encourages two avenues for reintroduction, the formal systematic reintro and the slow-roll reintro.  It all depends on what we want to do and get out of it, so I am going to do the slow-roll reintro.  You don't have to do a systemic reintro before doing the slow-roll.  That is what I am choosing to do. :)

I think I am doing a slow-roll systematic reintroduction.  At this rate, it's going to take MONTHS to do each food in each food group.  Not that that's a bad thing.  It's so neat that Whole30 is a program with universal rules and yet it's completely customizable (on purpose) to each individual.

 

Good luck on your oats day!  Coconut cream sounds yummy mixed into the oats!

 

That is so great that you have such self-awareness!  You are right that it is hard to stop eating something after you have pre-portioned a food for yourself, but it's great that you can stop eating once you are satisfied by eating enough of that food. :)

Haha - thanks - this is a VERY new thing.  Before it was all about eating the exact serving portioned out (If It Fits Your Macros is about eating the exact target number of grams for each macronutrient each day, not over AND not under).  One of my goals is to work on INTERNAL satiety signals to tell me when to stop eating vs. the EXTERNAL cue of an empty container.

 

Yup, you're making me miss running.  I didn't particularly care for running a race with a partner but I liked my training group.  I never got in the habit of listening to music while running.

 

Have a great Wednesday!  Good night!

 

-Lauren

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I got into the mix on Brewer's Post-Whole30 log, but it seemed relevant to us as Sugar Dragon Slayers: Today was a banner day: I was still hungry after lunch so I opened a packet of coconut butter and did not eat the whole thing (first time ever I have NOT finished a pack). I just ate what I felt I needed and carried on. I also had a long internal debate about a square of 85% dark chocolate and herbal tea after dinner. I finally decided to go for it. I took two squares out of the package but realized I was satisfied with just one and PUT THE OTHER SQUARE AWAY. No eating it just because I had already "committed" to two. A small version of forgetting to eat dessert. Very liberating because i *could* have had it but I CHOSE not to.

 

 

 

Way to go, Lauren! This is great!

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Advice on following Whole 30 (ish) post Whole 30 from Melissa Hartwig.  This sounds like a very slow slow-roll reintro to me, and what I plan to do.

 

http://whole30.com/2014/01/whole30-forever/

 

I like this line: "But as long as I am making an educated, conscious, deliberate decision about what to eat, when to eat it, and how much to enjoy, my life is totally balanced, totally healthy, and totally delicious."

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Ali - that is a really good article. Thanks for posting it! She sounds very healthy and balanced. I hope to be able to make my own rules and to choose to live by them.

 

The problem I see for myself (and others have mentioned similar) is that it is just so easy for me to go off the rails and before I know it, somehow I'm eating pumpkin bread and chips & queso too often and drinking red wine regularly. 

 

For now, my rules need to exclude my foods with no brakes, but like we've been talking about, it looks like I can eat a salad that my friend makes which has a little parmesan sprinkled in, knowing that something like that won't send me off into never-neverland. 

 

Also, I want to keep the awareness that I gained during this Whole 30 at the forefront as much as possible. If I manage to remember the things I learned in December, I will be a long way down the road to a healthier future. 

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Sara, have you read Jimmy's book:  Cholesterol Clarity?

 

Just ordered it from Amazon & it should be here tomorrow.

 

I thought about getting it on Kindle (I have Keto Clarity on Kindle), but sometimes I just want the book in my hands. I want to be able to flip through the pages and highlight things with an actual highlighter. :)

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Just ordered it from Amazon & it should be here tomorrow.

 

I thought about getting it on Kindle (I have Keto Clarity on Kindle), but sometimes I just want the book in my hands. I want to be able to flip through the pages and highlight things with an actual highlighter. :)

 

^ Oh, me TOO.  I can read fiction on Kindle...  I can read books that I'm not sure about... but if it's a scientific book and I love it, I gotta get a paper copy so I can hold it in my hands, read it again, and highlight.  No way I would have been able to find all of those quotes for you on a tablet or my phone!  Kindle is great and all, but my house is filled with books -- and they will never lose their purpose here in my family.  

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I came across some interesting and thought-provoking, yet simple information in "Why we get fat" last night.

 

Taubes is describing the role of insulin in the regulation of fat and well, as one of the main causes of getting fat.  He is stating that carbohydrates are a source of increased insulin.  We have known that since we took 8th grade biology.  However, one concept that I have never really thought about is that the thought of eating carbohydrates also increases the release of insulin.  This is why looking at Pinterest food porn makes us hungry.  This is why looking in my recipe box at sugary treat recipes makes me hungry.  This is why baking with the hands-on time in the kitchen and smells emanating from the oven makes us hungry.  Our bodies respond in a Pavlovian way to the thought of an upcoming meal consisting of carbohydrates by releasing insulin.  This makes us hungrier.

 

Not only the thought of carbohydrates, but also the ingestion of carbohydrates further increases our body's release of insulin.  Insulin signals fat cells to shut down the release of fatty acids (because insulin is a storage hormone) and takes up (for storage) more fatty acids.  This uptake of fatty acids from the bloodstream into the cells (whether muscle cells or fat cells) makes us even hungrier!  Do you see what's happening here??

 

So, you've thought about carbs (your insulin has been secreted), you've eaten cabs (your insulin has been secreted) and now you are digesting carbs.  Guess what is happening now.  You guessed it--you are secreting insulin!

 

The more insulin we have around, the more we are storing fat, and fat stays in the cells until insulin levels drop.

 

People wonder why (when they are NOT fat-adapted) they can't lose weight.  It's insulin.  Insulin does not allow people who are constantly eating carbohydrates for fuel (with the resultant insulin release and volatile blood sugar swings) to access their stored fat as fuel.  It is not possible.

 

Maybe this is basic information to you all, but I found this information very useful.  I hope it can be of help to you as well!  :)

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More relevant information from "Why we get fat", especially for those of us who have seen the movie "That Sugar Film"...

 

Fructose is particularly nasty, even more so than glucose.  While glucose circulates in our bloodstream, thereby leading to the secretion of insulin and the resultant blood sugar roller coaster, fructose is metabolized in the liver.  This means that fructose does not circulate in the bloodstream, and it also means that it does not have an immediate effect on insulin and blood sugar.  However, because fructose is metabolized immediately in the liver, it is converted directly into fat and shipped to our fat cells for storage.

 

When we eat something high in carbohydrates, specifically glucose and fructose, we are getting a double-whammy of negative impacts from sugar.  First, insulin is released when we ingest glucose.  As we know, insulin is a storage hormone and leads to the accumulation and storage of fat in our cells.  Second, although fructose does not have an immediate impact on insulin or blood sugar regulation, it is converted into fat.   :blink:

 

I'm starting to question whether an apple is a healthy food...  :unsure:

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More relevant information from "Why we get fat", especially for those of us who have seen the movie "That Sugar Film"...

 

 

I'm starting to question whether an apple is a healthy food...  :unsure:

Not eaten all by itself, it's not!

 

Interesting that just looking at carb-high foods actually causes us to secrete insulin (making us hungry) in response.  That's an additional response above and beyond the fact that seeing a trigger food causes us to want a dopamine hit.  Goes to show it's even more important to have those foods out of sight and out of mind!  Mind you, my eyeballs barely register all of the candy and processed snack food (crackers, chips, granola bars, cookies, biscuits, etc.) available in our office kitchen.  I just head for the dedicated "lunch box" fridge with my good stuff.  I think I also mentioned that they provide Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero and other carbonated and/or sweetened beverages for us, free of charge, along with the goodies.  It's considered a "perk."  We asked for healthier food (fresh fruit, mixed nuts, etc.) but we were told it was too expensive and that lifting heavy cartons of fruit (vs. boxes of snacks) was dangerous for the delivery employees - yet somehow they manage the pallets of soft drinks.  Yeesh!  Aren't you glad I spared showing you all of those goodies in the video of my office?

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Alison, I knew Taubes' book would be a good one.  I'm glad you are getting a lot out of it.

 

And I hope you can see, from what you are reading, which is new info to you -- that I was in no way trying to be harsh or judgmental about your banana & nut butter snack (which I know you are getting tired of talking about).  ;)

 

I do want people to enjoy their food -- of course I do.  

 

I also know what your goals are, and I've been where you are.  I know what a banana & nut butter combo does to your body, and it's nothing good.  I went through a period where I had those little packs of frozen Dole chocolate coated bananas with sunbutter EVERY night.  That was my "healthy" treat.  I was also trying to get really lean.  Based on what you are reading now -- do you think it helped?

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Blah, another day at the gym, another day of body disgust and shame.  And I *get* that these feelings/thoughts/emotions are actually completely independent of how my body actually looks (in terms of weight/body composition).  You can CHOOSE body love/peace/acceptance now matter how big or small or thin or fat or lean you are.

 

"Eat more fat" everyone says.  "Trust your body" everyone says.  Well, so far that has just made me more fat.  And now unhappy on a regular basis.  It doesn't seem to matter what I take out of my diet (nut butter); I must be finding something else to overeat on.  Or maybe I truly am under-eating?  I have no idea.  Because the other side of the coin is that in a negative energy balance, it's pretty natural to feel at least SOME hunger.  I'm used to dealing with hunger.  The easiest thing for me to do is go to bed early and just try to sleep through to breakfast.

 

I guess it's good news that I'm still going to the gym and at least TRYING?  I'm just feeling very jealous right now of anyone who does a Whole30 and effortlessly sheds weight and fat.

 

Sigh. 

 

Boohoo, poor me.  I wish I could get to the bottom of this.  It seems to happen more often on upper body workout days, but I'm just as disgusted with the added body fat and lack of muscle definition in my lower body as I am in my upper body.  It has happened ON reintro days (dairy and today is oats) and it has also happened on Whole30 compliant days after reintros (corn).  Not enough data for a clear pattern.

 

I was extremely productive at work this morning.  So that's good news.

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Lauren ~ this is by far, the most DOWN post I have seen from you, since I started paying attention.  Oats, huh?  Hmmmmmm.........

 

Did you have days where you felt this bad while you were on your Whole 30?

 

There is such a thing as pushing yourself too hard in the gym.  How often are you working out?

 

Want to share your food here with us, and see what we see?

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Brewer, I had to go back to my log to consult.  Throughout the Whole30 (or Whole44) I tried to suspend a state of belief that my weight/body fat was going to magically drop right near the end, as soon as my body "trusted" that I was going to give it enough fat.  I tried really hard to NOT care that I was getting softer during the Whole30. (But deep down, I did and still do care).

 

I haven't been able to make a clear food connection, as it happens on Whole30-eating days and on non-Whole30-eating days.  But going through my log did remind me that I was sicker than I've been in (literally) years in November and December.

 

I stuck with IIFYM for TEN months.  I'm willing to commit to Whole30/keto for at least as long to get results, too.  Just gotta bear down and hang in.

 

Here's one day with similar feelings, including food for context:

Day 12 (Tuesday, November 17):

Food Log:

M1: Egg “muffin” (or mini frittata – I whisked together 8 eggs with ~1 cup of sautéed mushrooms and ~1 cup of caramelized onions then baked them in 12 silicone liners in a muffin pan at 350F for 20-25 minutes – so I guess eating one is less than 1 egg), 1 sausage link, shredded cabbage fried in ghee and leftover onion-apple-raisin skillet.

Pre-WO: 1/2 baked chicken breast

Post-WO: 1/2 baked chicken breast + open handful size roasted squash

M2: 1 tin of tuna packed in oil with red pepper sauce, 1 packet Artisana coconut butter, and ~2 cups steamed mixed vegetables +~1/3 cup coconut milk + sea salt + black pepper + mini jug blender = cream of vegetable soup! (I was pretty proud of this and I felt like “MacGyver” – I was feeling less than inspired – and hungry! – facing my dish of steamed vegetables.  I remembered that I had a can of coconut milk with me at the office, supposedly for coffee, so I dumped some in on top. As it thinned out from the heat, I suddenly thought of my mini jug blender in the office kitchen from my old smoothie days.  I threw it all in and blended, adding hot water to reach the desired consistency.  Then I seasoned to taste with the sea salt and black pepper shakers in my desk drawers).

M3: 1 skin-on rotisserie chicken leg (thigh & drumstick), 1 baked chicken breast, 2 oz. cashew, Mel Joulwan’s Sunshine Sauce, lettuce leaves (Thai cashew-chicken lettuce wraps!), sautéed broccoli and 2 heaping tablespoons of coconut butter (man, that stuff is my kryptonite!  Nutiva is hands-down my favourite brand – it was like pure heaven scooping it out of the jar vs. squeezing it out of a packet.  I think the Nutiva coconut flesh is a little bit sweeter, too). I was definitely STUFFED after this meal, but I’m trying really hard to stick to the template and up the proteins and fats (which I got in abundance at this meal). 

 

Feelings Log: A good sweaty, intense workout was just what I needed today, and just what I got.  It perked me up immensely (although it also made me hungry – it was hard to resist the compliant Larabar in my desk, but I made a commitment to move away from those this week and really hammer on the template meals).

 

However, by evening time my post-workout glow had worn off and I was feeling pretty low.  Scratch what I said last week about getting leaner; this week I seem to be putting on a nice layer of blubber all over my body, most notably in my hips (again, this is subjective – I haven’t taken any objective measurements).  Maybe this is just my “for the love of Gosling” stage, except it’s not abdominal bloating I’m contending with – I just feel like I’m retaining water and adding body fat all over.  I don’t think I’ve gotten to the fat-adapted stage yet in order to really start burning off body fat.  All the more motivation to put the hammer down on the template meals!  (The moaning and groaning I foresaw on Day 7 is coming to pass, except back then I thought I would make it to day 16 before it kicked inJ).

 

Here are some additional thoughts from November 24:

In other news, I think I’m losing muscle definition (and also muscle mass, so my weight might actually go down, but I was hoping to lose body fat, not lean muscle mass!), but that might have to do more with taking time off from the gym.  I certainly didn’t feel enthused about how I looked in the gym mirror today, but that might have been more a reflection of how lousy I felt during my workout (to be expected after three days off). 

 

And another day:

Day 42 / Official* Day 28 (Thursday, December 17):

 

Food Log:

M1: 7a.m. - 3 microwaved eggs, steamed broccoli florets (an entire crown of broccoli) drizzled with EVOO and a delicious Jeju orange (Jeju is a Korean island just off the coast and it’s known for its incredible oranges for good reason).

Pre-WO: Nil

Post-WO: Nil

M2: 11:30a.m. - More homemade chicken salad (this time with ½ an apple, raisins and onions and no bell peppers) and ~2 cups mixed green salad with EVOO & balsamic vinegar.

Snack: 3:30p.m. - 1 Carrot Cake Larabar with Organic Throat Coat tea and 1 packet Artisana coconut butter.

M3: 6:30p.m. - I had some cooked chicken breast and roasted squash on hand, so I cut those into cubes and threw them into a skillet with steamed cauliflower florets.  I cooked the lot of them in bacon fat and tossed in rosemary, sage and thyme.  The flavour profile was like a roast chicken dinner, without actually having to roast a chicken!  I felt like eating more after the meal (mentally, not physically) but realized that I was TIRED (with a capital T, no less) so I brushed my teeth and went to bed as early as I could (a.k.a. fell asleep in my son’s room after reading storybooks).

 

Feelings Log: I didn’t mention it yesterday, but I was pretty grossed out with how I looked and felt during my workout.  I felt like there was just a layer of blubber over my whole body (maybe made out of coconut butter – haha!).  I can’t tell if that’s objective reality or just subjective because I don’t like the feeling when I miss a lot of workouts (not as many endorphins in my system).  It is entirely possible that I’m “softer” during these thirty days, and it may or may not be due to my exponentially higher fat intake (which has helped immeasurably with satiety, improved mood and far fewer urges to binge – hello, NSVs!).  If anything, it’s because this has been the fewest workouts I’ve done in a thirty-day period in a long, long time and it’s the sickest I’ve been in a thirty-day period. 

 

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Other than my handful of reintroductions (honey/maple syrup, sulfites, dairy, corn and oats - and I take these foods back OUT, leaving me Whole30 in between), food is still Paleo.  A typical day would be:

 

M1: (7am) 3 eggs, sunny side up with fried cabbage cooked in lard, 1/2 an avocado, salsa and up until yesterday and today, a clementine orange.

Pre-WO (11:30am): a few bites of cooked chicken, i.e. ~1 oz.

Post-WO (1:00pm): a few bites of cooked chicken, i.e. ~1 oz. and a palm-sized piece of roasted squash (~100g?).

M2: Mixed salad greens with EVOO & balsamic vinegar and something like de-constructed sushi or leftover butter chicken.

M3: Stir-fry of zucchini, bell pepper, onion, garlic cooked in light olive oil and a serving of protein (shrimp, chicken or pork), served with nuts and/or 1/2 avocado and possibly homemade mayo.  Handful of green olives.

 

I don't drink coffee every day but 1-2 day per week I would also have a mug of coffee with coconut milk or coconut cream.  Usually on the weekend.  This week, it was Tuesday.  I add coconut butter to meals as a fat if I'm still hungry after eating.  

 

My workout schedule is currently only 4, 45-60 minute weightlifting sessions: alternating upper body (bench presses, rows, pull-ups, shoulder presses, etc.) and lower body days (squats, leg press, lunges, leg curl, etc.).  I aim for Mon, Tue, Thu and Fri during my lunch hour.  If a workout is closer to the 45-minute mark, I *might* run/walk for the remaining 10-15 minutes, depending on how much work is waiting at my desk! 

 

Appreciate any insights.  After I wrote that Debbie Downer post, I marched into our office kitchen and ate some pistachios (I had to shell them, so that slowed me down, thank goodness) and a few spoonfuls of coconut cream.  At least my brain is not steering me to carbs?  And for supper I tried to figure out something that might work for keto: oven-roasted salmon fillet with the skin on, steamed broccoli with ghee, and raw celery, all topped with a sauce made with homemade mayo whisked with lemon juice and dried dill.  I was still hungry/hungry again at 8pm during my son's snack so I had several spoonfuls of coconut cream.  No interest in chocolate tonight.

 

Thanks - hope you all have a more positive Thursday than I did.  It's practically Friday here - woohoo!

 

Cheers,

 

-Lauren (GGG)

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  • Whole30 Certified Coach

Lauren - ugh.  I am so sorry that those are the thoughts in your head right now. 

 

First - you've been really sick.  You probably lost some strength - it will come back if you get back into a regular routine.  

 

Second - body image stuff.  You are strong.  Your body can do some pretty amazing stuff.  When those self doubting thoughts pop into your head try really hard to use that good ol' upper brain and start thinking about ALL THE THINGS your body can do.  I would often get really frustrated with those feelings at crossfit.  I can't workout in just a sports bra - I have a layer of insulation most good female crossfitters don't have... that made me sad.  But then I would think about being pretty close to 40 (most of these girls are in their early 20s) and the fact that I can do 5 pull ups, deadlift over 200 lbs, run a 7:30 mile, hike up 3500 feet with 20 lbs on my back... all the amazing things that not a whole lot of people can do.  I look at my thighs sometimes and it brings tears to my eyes... they just will not EVER fit into size 6 jeans... but then when I wear shorts people will stop me and comment on my quads... when I truly stop the CRAZIES in my head I realize that my body is the only one I'll ever get and you know what... it isn't so bad.  AND THEN... I start thinking more positive things.  And then I look in the mirror and see my strong quads and strong upper back and less of the 10lbs of body fat that in an ideal world would evaporate.  Don't hate your body.  Thank it.  For realz.  

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