Hitting it for six

[GoJo09]

I've been working with a nutritionist for a while to clear up some vague digestive and skin issues, and to figure out why I never lose weight, no matter what I do. We're doing a (very very slow) elimination, but she thinks that most of my weight loss issues are mental (not saying she's wrong!). However, I've been wanting to do another Whole 30 for a while, but just haven't got around to committing to it - I've been saying I want to do it, but not actually meaning it.  This weekend I woke up and just thought, yep let's do it. Unfortunately, it's terrible timing - I'm in the final 2/3 of training for a trail half marathon, and now is not the time to start experimenting with fat burning and fuel during a 3 hour run! We did a 2hr "recovery" run on Saturday, which I fuelled with homemade energy balls (figs, nuts, coconut oil, tahini, cacao), and I struggled big time - and I hadn't been eating Whole 30 in the days before. I know I'd get over that struggle eventually, but I don't have time for eventually to kick in right now. 

 

I'm also moving out of my flat and going on holiday in 4 weeks (China - excited!), and when I come back I'll be staying with friends for a couple of months before moving to South Africa! So, there's a lot going on, and there's not going to be a good time to do it before the end of the year (my friend's house is tiny and there's no room for me to be cooking up my own meals, although I'm mostly gluten and dairy free already, so it won't be too bad).

 

So, my plan is to do a series of Whole 6's back to back, with Saturday's being long run day and using energy gels during the run. I also have a few food based social events coming up on Saturday's (apparently everyone wants to hang out with you when you're going away!), so Saturday's will be my non-Whole 30 day (gluten, dairy and alcohol free still), and then back to it on Sunday.

 

I'm sure I could benefit from the solid 30 days, with structured re-intros again, but I also know I'll benefit greatly from doing it week-by-week.

 

Oh, and I'm also trying to cut out caffeine, because that's one thing that I've identified that makes me feel physically pretty average (makes me look really fluffy, too). So, I'm down to 1 every second day, and only good quality.

[GoJo09]

So far, this week has been easy - I ate the same thing every day, so that removes all of the thinking!

 

Meal 1: spinach and rocket, small roast potato (roast brussels sprouts today), half an avo, small tin of tuna or salmon, cucumber and red capsicum.

Meal 2: coleslaw mix with kale, chicken thigh, half an apple, big 1-2T homemade mayo, red onion, fig and nut ball

Meal 3: Scotch egg, handful of cocoa toasted cauli, roast brussels sprouts, small roast potato, bunch of asparagus and mushrooms sauteed in coconut oil, 1-2T mayo

 

Yesterday I had running in the evening, so had a carrot, big spoonful of beetroot almond dip, and 8 or so olives at about 4.30 - must remember not to eat olives before running! Could taste them the whole way. Hill sprints were hard (when aren't they?!) and I feel like my muscles were very tired and still are this morning.

 

I booked in to yoga on Monday and Tuesday evenings, but didn't end up going. I think I spend the whole weekend running round doing things and seeing people, so by Monday I'm exhausted. This weekend, I'm doing nothing except running, yoga and groceries! Hopefully next week I'll feel a bit perkier.

[GoJo09]

Last night was a bit of a fail - I got home starving and angry about a work email I'd just received. So I ate a fig and nut ball while I quickly chopped up some pumpkin and brocolli to roast. Then I ate a Scotch egg and some capsicum and cucumber sticks with mayo. Then another fig and nut ball. Then all of the roasted pumpkin... I wasn't hungry, and I wasn't really that pissed about the work stuff, and yet...

 

Always things to work on, hey!

[GoJo09]

The 5 week days last week were easy (apart from my compliant overeating that one night).

Saturday I did my 3 hour run with gels as planned, and then a smoothie I had taken for afterwards, and a couple of pieces of a fruit and nut slice made with honey.

I had intended to go right back to whole 30 eating on Sunday but it didn't quite happen - I was in one of those hand-to-mouth moods and I didn't fight it like I should have. No gluten, sweets or alcohol passed my lips though, so that's something.

Right back to it Monday though, although I've completely run out of vegetables at home (except carrots, there always seems to be carrots) so that was poor planning and I'll have to make a run to the shop before lunch.

I did have supposedly compliant takeaway for lunch on Friday and again on Monday and both times I had a headache in the afternoon, so there must have been something dodgy in the sauce or something. I'll be avoiding that place for now, which is a bummer as it was my best option.

And I thought I'd bought a lovely compliant iced coffee, but it turns out I didn't read the label all that well - I was drinking it thinking it didn't taste very coffee-ish, and I read the ingredients through twice and couldn't find where they had listed coffee. Turned it over and it was just a sweetened almond milk, didn't mention coffee at all! I'd picked up the wrong bottle at the shop! It was all compliant ingredients, but a sweet milk drink isn't really in the spirit of things.