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Kirbz's Whole30 Log


kirbz

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ROUND 4, Day 6: Saturday, November 2

Meal 1: three over-easy eggs cooked in leftover bacon fat; served over spiralized sweet potato and russet potato cooked in ghee with salt, pepper, and seasoning; 2 slices compliant bacon; glass of orange juice

Exercise (~5 hours): ~8-mile backpacking hike with ~2,500 feet of elevation gain (121 average HR; 179 max HR)

Intra-Workout Snack: pouch of blueberry, pear, and purple carrot baby food

Intra-Workout Meal 2: turkey “sandwich” with three slices turkey, one slice of bacon, ½ avocado, sprouts, and mayo served in butter lettuce leaves; 8 oz of water with compliant electrolyte supplement  

Intra-Workout Snack: pouch of peach, apricot, and banana baby food

Meal 3: turkey “sandwich” with three slices turkey, one slice of bacon, ½ avocado, sprouts, and mayo served in butter lettuce leaves; 8 oz of water with compliant electrolyte supplement  

Meal 4: Wild Zora Caldera Chicken Curry freeze-dried meal with chicken, sweet potato, pineapple, spinach, bell pepper, and onion

Snack: Gaia Herbs Liver Cleanse tea before bed (mostly  because it was really cold) 

Water Intake: ~120 oz 

Steps: 23,288

Symptoms/NSVs:

  • strong exercise endurance
  • strong mental commitment

Thoughts/Reflections: Today was the first day of an overnight backpacking trip. The first 2.5 miles was almost 2,000 feet of climbing on a fairly rough trail. While it was hard, I felt reasonably strong doing it. We then continued on for more than five more miles on gently rolling terrain before setting up camp for the night. My feet and legs were tired, but I felt good.

I was happy with the way I ate on this trip. I felt like I ate a lot of food, which is good on a trip like this. And I generally enjoyed it. I liked having a couple of sandwiches as fresh food rather than relying entirely on pre-packaged foods. That was nice. I do get over the freeze-dried backpacking meals pretty quickly.

I did miss my Peanut M&Ms at camp that evening, but I managed just fine. We took photos and played some Yahtzee and then read a book when it got too cold to be outside of the tent. So I didn’t dwell on it too much. But it really is a food ritual for me. When I work that hard, I genuinely enjoy having something sweet and delicious to reward myself. I’ll have to figure out if that’s an indulgence I’d like to keep going forward. I would have also really loved some hot chocolate instead of tea in my tent that evening…  

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ROUND 4, Day 7: Sunday, November 3

Meal 1: instant eggs (~2-3 eggs worth); Gaia Herbs Liver Cleanse tea

Exercise (~3 hours, 30 minutes): ~7-mile backpacking hike with ~300 feet of elevation gain (121 average HR; 179 max HR)

Post-Workout Snack: can of coconut water

Meal 2: three over-easy eggs cooked in leftover bacon fat; served over spiralized sweet potato and russet potato cooked in ghee with salt, pepper, and seasoning; 2 slices compliant bacon; glass of orange juice

Meal 3: grilled flat iron steak with seasoning; large baked potato with ghee and salt; ~10 asparagus spears cooked in avocado oil with spices; watermelon kombucha

Water Intake: ~100 oz 

Steps: 24,080

Supplements: Natural Calm in a glass of water before bed

Symptoms/NSVs:

  • none

Thoughts/Reflections: Well, today we finished off our backpacking trip. The last two miles were torture. My feet hurt. My back hurt. The views weren’t great. I was over it. But, we made it!

I came home and ate a huge meal and had every intention of taking a nap. But… I didn’t. I don’t know if I was restless or if I’m feeling some form of tiger blood (which has never, ever happened to me before), but I couldn’t sleep. I didn't really want to. I was amazed. So I went through my photos, organized my gear, cleaned the dishes, cooked some food, and watched some television.

[Photo 1: at our backcountry campsite] 

LakeAloha.JPG

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ROUND 4, Day 8: Monday, November 4

Meal 1: four eggs scrambled in leftover bacon fat with a splash of coconut milk, salt, and pepper; bowl of zucchini bone broth soup  

Meal 2: large bowl of pork vegetable stir fry with carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, bell pepper, snap peas, and onion cooked with Primal Kitchen Classic Marinade

Meal 3: enormous chicken breast grilled with salt, pepper, and BBQ sauce; large bowl of cauliflower bone broth soup; lavender kombucha

Water Intake: ~80 oz 

Steps: 6,327

Symptoms/NSVs:

  • none

Thoughts/Reflections: I tried to go to yoga today but there was no parking so I went home. And did nothing. But, honestly, I felt pretty good about that after a big weekend. I'm trying to honor my feelings and intentions, even if they're occasionally lazy. 

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ROUND 4, Day 9: Tuesday, November 5

Meal 1: two hard-boiled eggs   

Meal 2: large bowl of pork vegetable stir fry with carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, bell pepper, snap peas, and onion cooked with Primal Kitchen Classic Marinade

Meal 3: grilled sirloin steak; can of sliced potatoes cooked in duck fat; bowl of zucchini bone broth soup

Water Intake: ~80 oz 

Steps: 8,658

Symptoms/NSVs:

  • woke up with a cold sore (I haven’t had one of those in a long time, though I do get them frequently overall)

Thoughts/Reflections: Not much to report today. I’m super disappointed to have a cold sore. I wonder what caused that?  

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ROUND 4, Day 10: Wednesday, November 6

Meal 1: none (I stayed in bed and snuggled with Yeti Spaghetti instead of eating; I feel good about my decision)    

Snack: blueberry RxBar and chamomile tea

Meal 2: piece of baked salmon; large bowl of cauliflower soup  

Meal 3: two round steaks cooked in whole tomatoes; large baked potato with ghee and salt

Water Intake: ~80 oz 

Steps: 7,809

Symptoms/NSVs:

  • evening tiredness (I went to bed before 8:00 p.m.)

Thoughts/Reflections: I just realized that some colleagues gave me little Halloween goodie bags last week and I haven’t even bothered to remove them from my desk. Normally, having chocolate right in front of me would be a temptation. But, it’s not… That’s kind of nice.   

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ROUND 4, Day 11: Thursday, November 7

Meal 1: none

Snack: chamomile tea with Primal Kitchen collagen peptides

Meal 2: two round steaks cooked in whole tomatoes; large baked potato with ghee and salt

Meal 3: four eggs scrambled in leftover bacon fat with a splash of coconut milk, salt, and pepper; two and a half slices of bacon; bowl of cauliflower bone broth soup.

Water Intake: ~60 oz 

Steps: 8,284

Symptoms/NSVs:

  • evening tiredness again (not sure if it’s the time change or not eating enough)

Thoughts/Reflections: Not much to say today.    

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ROUND 4, Day 12: Friday, November 8

Meal 1: four eggs scrambled in leftover bacon fat with a splash of coconut milk, salt, and pepper; two slices of bacon; whole sliced cucumber

Movement (40 minutes): neighborhood walk with the pup (flat trail terrain)

Meal 2: five grilled chicken drumsticks with BBQ sauce and seasoning; one small zucchini and summer squash sautéed in avocado oil with seasoning; ¾ avocado

Movement (25 minutes): neighborhood walk with the pup (flat trail terrain)

Meal 3: grilled ribeye steak with seasoning; large baked potato with ghee and salt; handful of grape tomatoes; watermelon kombucha  

Water Intake: ~80 oz 

Steps: 15,010

Symptoms/NSVs:

  • none

Thoughts/Reflections: Just another day… I’m excited for another ladies backpacking trip tomorrow!     

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ROUND 4, Day 13: Saturday, November 9

Meal 1: three over-easy eggs cooked in leftover bacon fat; served over spiralized sweet potato and russet potato cooked in ghee with salt, pepper, and seasoning; one and a half slices compliant bacon; glass of orange juice

Exercise (5 hours, 26 minutes): 8.74-mile backpacking hike with 1,654 feet of elevation gain (126 average HR; 191 max HR)

Intra-Workout Meal 2: turkey “sandwich” with three slices turkey, one slice of bacon, ½ avocado, sprouts, and mayo served in butter lettuce leaves; 8 oz of water with compliant electrolyte supplement  

Meal 3: turkey “sandwich” with three slices turkey, one slice of bacon, ½ avocado, sprouts, and mayo served in butter lettuce leaves; 8 oz of water with compliant electrolyte supplement  

Movement (1 hour, 15 minutes): hike to the other end of Lake Aloha (relatively flat but rough-ish trail terrain)

Meal 4: Elements Broccoli Cinnamon Pork freeze-dried meal with butternut squash and egg whites; pouch of sweet potato and beet baby food

Snack: Gaia Herbs Liver Cleanse tea before bed (mostly because it was really cold) 

Water Intake: ~120 oz 

Steps: 30,198

Symptoms/NSVs:

  • higher-than-expected heart rate (the hike wasn’t that hard; it shouldn’t have been that high)
  • fatigued legs

Thoughts/Reflections: I had four ladies join me on a backpacking trip this weekend and it was so lovely! I thoroughly enjoy the company of women and am so grateful I’ve been able to do this type of adventuring the last two weekends.

I dragged a bit more than last weekend. I definitely had a heavier pack so it could have been that. But it was also an easier hike. It wasn’t awful. But my legs were definitely more easily fatigued.

As a final note, I need to figure out something else to eat in the backcountry. These freeze-dried meals are awful and are really starting to all taste the same. I cannot eat the full meal because my gag reflex really starts going after about two thirds of the way through the bag. I’m going to have to start experimenting with some light backcountry cooking.

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ROUND 4, Day 14: Sunday, November 10

Meal 1: pouch of blueberry, pear, and purple carrot baby food; small handful of homemade plantain chips

Exercise (3 hours, 11 minutes): 6.78-mile backpacking hike with 620 feet of elevation gain (112 average HR; 162 max HR)

Post-Workout Snack: can of coconut water

Meal 2: three over-easy eggs cooked in leftover bacon fat; served over spiralized sweet potato and russet potato cooked in ghee with salt, pepper, and seasoning; three slices compliant bacon; glass of orange juice

Exercise (1 hour, 3 minutes): mild vinyasa yoga (75 average HR; 95 max HR)

Meal 3: grilled chicken thighs with BBQ sauce; can of sliced potatoes cooked in duck fat; head of steamed broccolini; mango kombucha

Water Intake: ~100 oz 

Steps: 22,196

Symptoms/NSVs:

  • fatigued legs
  • headache in the evening

Thoughts/Reflections: The hike out was tough, as it always is. My legs were feeling quite tired. But it was so lovely. I loved going with so many other like-minded women. They were so nice to get to know and I’m so grateful I had another distraction to take up my weekend.

I did take a nap today and it felt wonderful, though not particularly satisfying. I still felt tired and groggy. But I went to yoga and it felt so good for my body. I needed the deep stretching.

And that’s about it. I continue to fill my evening with watching tv and I continue to want to stop that practice and transition to more reading. But, I’m still trying to be gentle with myself and honoring my feelings and needs right now. It's still been less than a month and I desperately wish my little Inka. We both do. But I’m trying.

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ROUND 4, Day 15: Monday, November 11

Meal 1: none

Snack: half a can of coconut water

Exercise (1 hours, 10 minutes): 2.64-mile hike with 518 feet of elevation gain (121 average HR; 171 max HR)

Snack: slice of deli turkey; half a can of coconut water

Meal 2: two grilled chicken thighs with BBQ sauce; small bowl of zucchini bone broth soup

Meal 3: grilled sirloin steak with spicy seasoning; two halves spinach and artichoke twice baked potatoes; watermelon kombucha   

Water Intake: ~60 oz 

Steps: 11,429

Symptoms/NSVs:

  • terrible headache through most of the night
  • felt mildly depressed / very low mood
  • extreme tiredness in the evening (like, droopy eyelids at 6:30 p.m.)

Thoughts/Reflections: I felt really down today. All the things in life that haven’t been going well hit me hard today. It’s the day before my period should be starting so perhaps it’s that. Or maybe it’s just life. I tried to make the most of it though. I did a hike this morning and I went to the beach to watch the sunset with my little man. The sunset in particular really helped soothe my soul. I’m so grateful for the outdoors. I don’t know what I would do without these places.

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ROUND 4, Day 16: Tuesday, November 12

Meal 1: Blueberry RxBar

Meal 2: three halves spinach and artichoke twice baked potatoes

Meal 3: golden beet and pistachio salad with balsamic drizzle; grilled trout marinated in garlic oil; fingerling tomatoes marinated in garlic oil; broccolini

Water Intake: ~60 oz 

Steps: 6,580

Symptoms/NSVs:

  • felt mildly depressed / very low mood
  • extreme tiredness
  • left knee pain

Thoughts/Reflections: I still felt tired and down today. I also don’t have a plan for food this week so my eating habits are not gonna be pretty. I likely won’t be eating enough either, which does nothing for my mood. But, alas, here I am.

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@kirbz  I stumbled across your log today while planning ahead for a January 2020 W30 -- what an amazing journey you've been on!!!  Love your authenticity!  And your adventurousness -- not to mention the gorgeous pictures you post!  Hoping you're doing well and looking forward to your next update.  :)

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Hi @kirbz! How's it going? I'm thinking about starting another round vs a mini reset and, like you, am going to try to hit 10K steps/day. I know...there's no such thing as try; either do or don't. Yesterday I didn't but it was my jumping off point and I hadn't quite committed. Sounds like a cop-out, huh? Anyway, just wanted to check in and tell you that I love your new avatar and hope all is well.

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  • 1 month later...

And here I am again. I did not finish the last round. I had a trip to LA for work that I was not prepared for. I had planned to try and make it work but willfully decided to not try that hard. I was fine with that decision due to the circumstances of the work trip. I had planned to immediately go back to Whole30 upon returning, which I did not do. That decision I am not happy with. I still have this all-or-nothing mentality and it has a long runway for turning around when I go off plan. I need to work on that. 

My goals remain the same. It is absolutely imperative that I establish a healthy lifestyle so that I can enjoy the mountains until the day I die. The way I am eating is not sustainable for health. I'm single once again. I have nothing holding me back. I will make this a lifestyle and I will seek a partner who feels the same. 

I do have some additional goals for this round. In addition to completing my Whole30, I want to :

  • Eat a wider variety of vegetables
  • Drink 100 oz of water each day
  • Do some sort of physical activity each day, even walking 
  • Read Food Freedom Forever
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ROUND 4, Day 1: Friday, December 27

Sleep: 9 hours 29 minutes (0:24 deep; 4:55 light; 4:10 REM; 0:02 awake)

Pre-Workout Snack: one hard-boiled egg

Exercise (1 hour): pilates class  

Meal 1: four eggs scrambled in ghee with a splash of coconut milk and salt and pepper; two slices of bacon; large bowl of zucchini bone broth soup  

Meal 2: chicken breast grilled with BBQ sauce, salt, and pepper; can of sliced white potatoes cooked in ghee; small head of steamed broccolini; watermelon kombucha

Movement (1 hour, 15 minutes): walk in the neighborhood with the pup (snowy terrain with mild elevation)

Meal 3: eight scallops cooked in ghee with lemon butter sauce; cauliflower rice with fresh dill and parsley  

Snack: chamomile and lavender tea (before bed)

Water Intake: ~110 oz 

Supplements: Natural Calm

Steps: 13,097

Symptoms/NSVs:

  • Hungry most of the afternoon and evening

Thoughts/Reflections: I was happy with how quickly I was able to throw together some delicious meals today, including a new recipe. That’s going to be very important for the success of this and for the long-term sustainability of it. Otherwise, I was hungry a lot. My meals didn’t seem to keep me full for very long. That’s kind of new for me so I’ll have to play around with that.

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ROUND 4, Day 2: Saturday, December 28

Sleep: 8 hours 48 minutes (1:29 deep; 6:02 light; 1:17 REM; 0:05 awake)

Meal 1: four eggs scrambled in ghee with a splash of coconut milk and salt and pepper; two slices of bacon; large bowl of zucchini bone broth soup  

Exercise (2 hours, 10 minutes): 4.81-mile hike (on hard-packed snow, with microspikes) with 801 feet of elevation gain (130 average HR; 169 max HR)

Meal 2: chicken breast grilled with BBQ sauce, salt, and pepper; two cans of sliced white potatoes cooked in ghee; brussel sprouts cooked in ghee with salt and pepper; gingerberry kombucha

Snack: Gaia Herbs Liver Cleanse tea (because I was cold)

Meal 3: eight scallops cooked in ghee with lemon butter sauce; cauliflower rice with fresh dill and parsley  

Water Intake: ~100 oz 

Supplements: Natural Calm

Steps: 16,839

Symptoms/NSVs:

  • Right AND left knee pain on hike (the left knee pain is new)
  • Cravings for sweets
  • Feeling like I “deserve” sweets after my hike
  • Bad attitude about what it takes to eat healthy

Thoughts/Reflections: I’m sick of cooking and dishes already. I would so much rather come home from a hike and throw a pizza in the oven than cook and do dishes. When the food doesn’t even taste any better than a delicious pizza would… Why does this have to be so difficult? Where is the amazingly delicious but convenient Whole30 food? Oh wait, that doesn’t exist… Guh.

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Since I forgot to do this before Day 1, here are my beginning weight and measurements. This isn't just about weight for me, but I do hope to see some strong results because losing some weight is going to be important for my long-term enjoyment of the mountains. I'll probably also take some before and after pictures but I'm certainly not posting those here. 

  • Height: 5'10"
  • Weight: 198.7 lbs 
  • Thigh (R): 29"
  • Upper Arm (R): 15.25"
  • Hips: 46.5"
  • Stomach: 37.5"
  • Waist: 33.75"
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Hi kirbz! I’m back for another round as well after cutting my last one short. I start tomorrow! Do you do any meal prep? Convenience is also key for me as I get sick of cooking all the time too. The dishes, ugh! So I dedicate a few hours to make things I could easily heat up rather than make from scratch each time. Turkey lettuce wraps, burger patties and avocados with bacon and tomato are among my favorites. Just a suggestion! 
 

We got this this time! 

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  • 3 weeks later...

@JessFind Oops, sorry, I just saw your note. I haven't been checking in on the forum very regularly for this round because I'm really just trying to make this my new normal and I won't be doing that as part of my regular, everyday life.

But, to answer your question (I hope this isn't too late to be helpful)... I don't do a lot of meal prep. I tried that my first round and didn't like it for two reasons. One, I don't like eating the same meal over and over. And two (and this is the more important of the two), it made me bitter. I would have to do meal prep on the weekend and my weekends are sacred for getting outside and spending time with my pup so I didn't want to spend hours inside shopping and planning and cooking. It made me very angry. So I wing most of my meals. And I keep them simple. BBQ chicken with a baked potato and steamed broccoli. Steak and brussel sprouts and an avocado. Stuff like that...

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Well, normally when I vanish suddenly from my own log, it's because I gave up on my round and reverted to poor eating habits. That's not the case this time! I've simply decided that I'm not going do add all the fanfare to this round because I'm trying to make this my new normal and I wouldn't be tracking and logging every single thing I eat as part of my everyday normal. 

So, I don't know what day I'm on. I haven't been eating perfect meal template meals. On many days I haven't drank enough water or eaten three full meals. But, I'm here. I'm feeling strong and I'm eating well-balanced, healthy meals. I feel more confident than ever that I can make this a lasting practice! 

I'll check in occasionally, but that's where I'm at for this one! 

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This has honestly been a difficult Whole30 for me. Not because it's been that hard. But because it hasn't made me feel very good.

So, while I feel like I'm doing it in a sustainable way, I'm not feeling good enough to want to eat this way for the long term. I have very, very low energy. Like, I could sleep 14 hours a day. My knees hurt often and badly. And I'm coming down with a cold (I made it through the entire year last year without getting a cold or flu).

I know I sometimes don't eat enough. But no more so than in the past. I can't think of anything at all that I'm doing differently. I guess I'll try to increase and vary my fat intake. I rely a lot on ghee and oils, so I'll try to throw in more olives and avocado. I also think I'm going to switch to table salt with iodine. I've been relaying solely on sea salts that I don't think have any iodine. Maybe that will make a difference? And I'll add more vegetables. I've been relying a lot on potatoes. 

I hope some of these things help. Regardless, I think I'm going to try another one-month experiment where I simply eat whole foods and no sugar and see where that takes me. I've never tried that before. I'm either Whole30 or eating Lucky Charms and Mac N Cheese. I've never tried just eating good, whole foods that don't align with a specific dietary approach. So I'll eat rice and legumes and oatmeal because I don't think those are inherently bad for me. And I'll continue to eat lots and lots of vegetables and meat with at least lunch and dinner. I think I need to expand the scope of my food experimentation to really find something ideal for me for the long term. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, I officially concluded my fourth Whole30 on Saturday. Which was a total non-event. Preparing my meals for this week was just like preparing meals for the last four weeks. I didn't see any reason to deviate from my Whole30 and I had meals I was very much looking forward to. 

I'll post my physical results later this week, but, for now, here are my NSVs: 

  • Finally established what feels like a sustainable way of eating 
  • Confident that I can manage my food freedom
  • Confident that I can return to healthy habits after going off-plan 
  • Total lack of cravings 
  • Way more nutrition in my diet 
  • Identified a bunch of new and delicious recipes 
  • Less food waste
  • Leaner appearance and flatter stomach 
  • Clothes fit better (I was able to drop a size in my work pants)

To be quite frank, this was my least unimpressive Whole30. I cannot express how disappointed I was to come down with a cold while in the middle of it. I really thought that eating this way made me somewhat invincible to those nasty little bugs because it had in the past. And I am so disappointed that my knee pain is so bad. I honestly think there might really be something wrong with it, though I don't remember doing anything to hurt it. Again, that stuff all disappeared in the past so I'm really sad that it not only didn't go away, but that it's worse. Way worse. And then there's the regular exhaustion and lackluster fitness performance. I could sleep 14 hours a day. I get so, so tired doing routine hikes near my house. When on my last round I did probably the hardest physical thing I've ever done (I climbed 13,713-foot Bear Creek Spire).

It's kind of ironic that I finally do Whole30 in a way that feels sustainable for the long term at the same time that I don't see enough benefits to actually want to continue... 

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  • 2 months later...

Welp, here I am again. Round 5. Wow. When I first learned of Whole30 and tried and failed multiple times to complete a single round, I certainly couldn't have imagined myself here. Ha! Partly because I wouldn't have had the confidence to believe I could do this many rounds. And partly because I wouldn't have wanted to believe I'd need to do this many rounds before it really stuck. And yet here I am. Always trying. 

My energy and intention feels different this round. It's less about a goal and more about honoring myself and honoring nature. It's  been six months to the day that I ended a toxic long-term relationship and four months and one day before my 35th birthday. I have a vision of myself that is not the person I am today. I desperately love the outdoors. Mother Nature is my passion, my joy, my serenity, my solace, and my teacher. And yet my health and my fitness are not representative of the outdoor woman I imagine myself to be. So this round is about becoming the woman I imagine myself to be. And it is about partaking of the sustenance that the earth provides me to be the best version of myself. So that I can always and forever enjoy her. 

NOTE: I did figure out what went wrong last round. My third and fourth round were pretty close together. My third round was the best Whole30 I've ever done and the fourth was the worst. The difference was carbs. Specifically, I started swapping potatoes for cauliflower rice, which felt like carbs but isn't at all. So, this round I plan to go back to eating lots and lots of potatoes. Because they make me feel good. I'm going for twice a day, plus baby food pouches when I hike. 

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