Matt's January Whole30

[Juice06870]

I am currently on Day 4.  Just for background, I am 39, male, about 6'3" and 215 lbs right now. 

I have been planning this for a while.  The whole past 3 or so months have been non-stop indulgence on bad foods and a lot of alcohol.  Summer time was not fantastic either.  I have done the Whole30 a few times in the past and I have more or less stuck to the general paleo template for years.  But I really hit the gutter recently - partially knowing that I would do this Whole30 on Jan 1st, and partially because I was making a lot of excuses for myself for the fact that I'm 39 with 2 kids - who do I need to impress?  Plus a ton of personal issues piling up over the course of the year.  

Well the answer is that I don't need to impress anyone of course.  And the personal issues are not much of an excuse go as overboard as I did. But the more important point is that I was really doing my body and health a huge disservice.  I do not weigh myself too often, but I did when I started this.  I am about 15 pounds heavier than I was a couple of months ago and about 20 pounds heavier than I have normally been when I have been pretty disciplined about my nutrition. 

My wife and I did some shopping New Year's eve morning and a bit on New Years day to stock up. (she's not going it, but she likes most of the meals and will eat along for the most part).  I baked about 4 lb of chicken thighs, she made about 2.5 lb of ground beef with excellent home-made (compliant taco seasoning), baked some butternut squash etc.  This has set me up for a decent first few days of being able to throw an easy meal together from the prepared foods, along with some veggies, fats and whatever else to complete the meal.  

I did not workout out as religiously in November and December as I would have liked, but I have made a good effort to get back on track this week.  I have been falling asleep a lot easier this week already, and have been setting my alarm in the morning (rather than waiting for one of the kids to wake me up).  I use the extra 45 minutes to do some maintenance on my body as well as prepare a good, sensible breakfast.  Foam rolling and about 20 minutes of mobility work in order to open and loosen up my joints, tendons and muscles.  I have been slacking a lot on that lately and I have found because of that, and because I'm about 20 lbs heavier, my body has been constantly sore - this has also caused me to scale back my workout intensity since both of those factors have been negatively effecting them.  

Yesterday (day 3) was the first day I started to feel a bit tired and run down in the afternoon and evening.  Day 2 and 3 I went to the gym, but not until about 845pm, staying until 945 or 10pm.  Meaning I didn't get to bed until about 11 both nights.  This didn't help the run-down feeling, so tonight I am skipping the gym and will try to get to bed nice and early.

Today (Day 4) was the first day I started kind of hallucinating about food.  I was working at the office and a strong taste of egg-nog came over my palate.  I don't even really enjoy egg-nog, but the hallucination tasted really good.  I was scrolling through instagram earlier and came across a photo of a great looking cheese board and I could taste the bleu cheese vividly.  Needless to say I need to unfollow certain accounts on Instagram for the next month or so.  

Otherwise things seem good.  I have been eating and staying full after each meal, meaning I have not had many urges to snack - even if it's just a handful of nuts.  I'm just waiting for the really tough days to hit me, they will suck - but I am actually looking forward to it because it will be a sign that my body is really starting to change and adapt and that the good things will be coming soon...

 

[Juice06870]

Day 4 update

 

I'm really tired and somewhat cranky. I am trying to avoid being cranky so my family doesn't hate me so soon.  I am also starting to get a lot of cravings whenever I see any of the food around the house that's for the kids or that my wife might still snack on....I also snacked on some solid coconut milk (so good) and mango.  (I'm apparently really shot because I couldn't even remember the name "mango" and i had to ask my wife and 7 year old twice what the name of it was)  :0

[Juice06870]

Day 5 - 

Too tired to set my alarm and get up extra early today, but that is probably because I spent almost 2 hours shoveling, until about 10pm last night.

I had a pretty good headache this morning when I woke up as well, but that passed quickly after I ate breakfast which consisted of:

kale sautéed in coconut oil to make it nice and crispy

charred sweet potato (about half a medium sweet potato)

sautéed mushrooms and 5 cage free/organic eggs

1/4 cup coconut milk out of the can

 

Working from home today since my son's school is closed.  It will be interesting to see how bad my cravings get while I am sitting around the house rather than the office.  I have a couple of things on a 'to-do' list that will get me out of the house for a while late morning or early afternoon that will help keep my mind off snacking or daydreaming about something I shouldn't be eating (or drinking).  

[littleg]

I need to show this to my husband - I'd love to show him what another male eats  Each W30 we've done I think I've eaten more than him!  And I'm about 100lbs less... Have you ever had a not so great W30 (in terms of results)?  He lost 25 lbs his first one (getting him to a small spare tire - he is stocky and even as a collegiate soccer player was never "lean").  But his many attempts since then have been much less successful.  He only finished 1 other and lost about 10lbs.  He made 2-3 other attempts and quit after about 2 weeks when he saw no changes.  My hunch was that he was eating too little.  But I've never known any other men to do this with a weight loss goal.  

[Juice06870]

Cool, I will start to try to post more of my meals then, I haven't done too much of that because I wasn't sure who really would be reading it.  

When I did my first Whole30 a few years ago, I didn't really have a specific weight loss goal in mind, I had read the book "It Starts With Food" and I basically tried it out to see what would happen - if any "magic" would happen and if I would get that tiger blood.  When I got on the scale after the 30 days, I could not believe that I had lost almost 20 pounds.  I stayed with the general eating template after that and the fat kept slowly melting off since my body was adapted to burning fat rather than carbs/sugar for energy.  Plus I did have that "tiger blood", energy was through the roof, mind was clear, slept like a rock and woke up refreshed and alert, etc.  

After that initial Whole30, I had done about 4 or maybe 5 since then.  On one of them, I overate on the carbs and I actually almost remained around the same weight as where I had started.  This helped me to realize that carbs, no matter how complex or simple, are not my friend if I am trying to stay lean.  Another 2 of the Whole30s were where I kind of did it at 85% commitment and maybe had one or 2 meals with non-compliant foods, which defeats the purpose.  

But remember - that 2 weeks is way too short of a time to notice any changes.  Everyone is different, but it probably takes almost that long for the body to really get itself adapted to the program, and then from there the weight and fat could hopefully start coming off.  

[Juice06870]

Rest of day 5 was fine, no bad cravings or huge snack cravings.  However I did sneak a few bites of the canned coconut milk that was leftover in the fridge.

Lunch was 7oz baked chicken thigh (organic), cauliflower-rice, baked butternut squash cubes, about 1/4 cup coconut milk and a ginger kombucha.  

Dinner was leftover chicken fajitas (no wraps) and avocado/coconut cream from a Nom Nom Paleo recipe (http://nomnompaleo.com/2017/06/13/20170613sheet-pan-chicken-fajitas-avocado-crema) along with sliced, salted cucumbers and extra virgin olive oil, also a bit more of the coconut milk which i am obsessed with.  (I needed a bit extra fat because I didn't use very much avocado crema since i wanted to save a bit more of that for day 6)

I planned to go to bed early, around 945, but I ended up not really falling asleep until about 11 for some reason.  Then my daughter woke me up at 5am, and while she went right back to sleep, I was more or less awake.   So I didn't get any really great sleep.  I started really waking up around 620, so I got up and did some foam rolling, had a small pre workout snack (3 oz grilled chicken and a couple small spoons of coconut milk) and hit the gym for about an hour.  Overall 30 minutes of maintenance - stretching, mobility, foam rolling and 30 minutes of HIIT cardio.  Nice to get the workout out of the way bright and early.  Post workout was another 3 oz grilled chicken breast and a small half of a sweet potato.  Feeling pretty good right now.  Normally at 9am on a Saturday morning i am dragging a little bit and probably extra foggy from a few drinks the night before.

[littleg]

Thanks!  I'm going to show him this now.  Hopefully he won't be too mad about the spare tire comment  

[Juice06870]

Day 7 - everyone stay the hell away from me.  I was a salty person today.  

Got decent sleep, went to bed at 10, woke up around 630.  But was woken up once again around 1am by my daughter.  But I'm starting to sleep a lot deeper now, when I got up in the middle of the night, I felt like i was basically sleep walking into her room.  I was only in there for a couple of seconds and then i was asleep again as soon as I returned to my room and hit the pillow.    I got a very light workout in around 830, and stocked up on food at Costco.  Today and yesterday, day 6, I have had a headache on and off.  I was expecting this and am hoping I don't have it at work tomorrow.  Food wise:

Pre WO:

3 oz chicken breast

1/4 cup coconut milk 

Post WO:

4 oz chicken breast

Breakfast:

Rotisserie chicken breast

Kale, pan sautéed in coconut oil, sprinkled w/ sea salt

Cauliflower rice

coffee

coconut milk

Lunch: 

leftover chicken fajitas (w/ onions and peppers) from nom-nom Paleo reciepe

coconut milk (i know, i have a problem with this)

coffee

(I thought I had some veggies, but I didn't log it and i sure as hell can't remember, it feels like 3 days ago already).

Dinner:

leftover beef chili over cauliflower rice w/ hot sauce

coconut milk

diced cucumber and baby tomato, lightly salted with extra virgin olive oil.

 

Hope to be in a better mood tomorrow !

 

 

[littleg]

Do you get coconut milk that is solid out of the fridge?  Kabocha squash is a great carrier for said coconut milk.  Eat it cold for best results  

 

 

[Juice06870]

Yes, the solid coconut milk!  I have not tried the kabocha squash yet, I haven't seen it in the store.  But the coconut milk, cold, is so good!  

[Juice06870]

Day 9 already!

Day 8 yesterday was good.  My mood was greatly improved and I didn't feel too run down later in the afternoon like I sometimes might have in the past.  Woke up a bit early to do my daily foam rolling to get the knots out of my legs and calves and to do about 20 minutes of mobility work to try to open up my joints and muscles.  

B: 5 cage free eggs, scrambled with baby spinach and some butternut squash.  Fresh sliced yellow peppers.  Half a small avocado.

2 coffees at work

L: leftover beef chili over cauliflower rice w/ hot sauce. Butternut squash.  Sliced cucumbers and baby tomatoes topped with EVOO.

D: Chilled shrimp with squeezed lemon.  Bakes broccoli and brussels sprouts.  Coconut milk.  Kombucha.

Went to bed around 10, played one song on my phone and was asleep before the song ended.

Woke up super early today, around 5am.  I was wide awake, but bed was feeling extra comfortable, so I laid for about half an hour, then read through some emails and social media and finally went downstairs around 5:55 for my foam rolling and mobility.  

Just had lunch and I'm feeling a little tired, probably because I woke up so early.  Having a green tea now and trying to think of an errand that I can run that will get me out of the office for a half hour.  

Mood is good.    Generally I feel a lot better than I did 10 days ago.  I constantly felt overstuffed and bloated from all of the garbage I was eating and drinking.  It's nice not to have that feeling finally.  Now just to get my pants to fit a little better once again.   

[littleg]

Do you have a plan for the mobility work or are you just winging it?  Are you seeing improvements in overall achiness?  I've got some pretty serious pelvic wackiness going on since the baby (12 m) and glutes/psoas/adductors/rotators (basically just all the muscles that connect in and around the hip!) are not happy.  I have a foam roller but am far from consistent with it.  

After reading your posts my husband has upped his food intake a bit and says he feels better overall.  So thanks!  Yeah for 5 eggs for breakfast!

[Juice06870]

3 hours ago, littleg said:

Do you have a plan for the mobility work or are you just winging it?  Are you seeing improvements in overall achiness?

I subscribe to a website called ROMWOD.com.  It's a daily mobility routine that you can follow along to on your phone, laptop, desktop, ipad etc.  They usually focus on 4 or 5 different positions every day and you will hold each one anywhere from 1 minute up to 3 or 4 minutes at a time.  There is a "long" and a "short" version each day.  Long one being about 18-20 minutes and the short one being around 12 minutes.  They talk you through each pose and you can see the person on the video as well for a visual idea.  Obviously the people in the video are a lot more flexible, but the point is not to completely copy them, but to do whatever is within your ability.  

There is a 7 day free trial that I highly recommend and after that, you can decide if you want to sign up.  I had been using it for over a year with great results.  But around the end of October I started really slacking with it and only doing it once or twice a week.  I started doing it daily again on Jan 1st and I already feel 10x better than I did on Dec 31.  I am not as sore and tight when I get up in the morning.  And when I do it upon waking, I feel REALLY good after it's done.  It's a small rush, the blood is moving and as the day goes on, I stay pretty lose and limber.   I did a pretty intense workout last night and it went very well since I could actually move pretty fluidly.  (part of the goal of the program for many people is to be able to perform better during their workouts, since they will be more mobile, they will be able to perform their movements better and safer and it could lead to better results from the workouts - depending on the workout goal).

I like it a lot because you don't have to think about it.  Just push play and follow along.  Before this, I would just do the same few stretches for like 20-30 seconds at a time, and while that was OK, I had no idea how many other parts of my body I was neglecting that needed attention.  

If you do the free week trial I would love to hear your thoughts on it.  

[littleg]

Maybe I've heard of that site... is it through Kelly Starrett? I have Supple Leopard at home.  Collecting dust.  Probably worth checking out.  I've been doing my own 25ish minute yoga flow lately to work on flexibility but some foam rolling would be a nice change up.  Thanks for the tip on the trial - I'll check it out for sure!

[Juice06870]

No, I think his is called "MobilityWod" or something similar.  I have not tried his, but I have also bought Supple Leopard which is collecting dust...actually packed in a box in anticipation of an upcoming house move at the end of the month.  I need to dust it off too.  But I find that following along online is a lot easier and more clear than trying to read and understand the book.  

[littleg]

I struggled with the book too - my problem areas (glutes, shoulders) you are always lying on the ball - so the photos were never helpful  Just signed up for the 7 day trial - I'll try a session tonight!

[Juice06870]

Yesterday was day 9.  I went over most of it in a post yesterday.  I was tired most of the afternoon, but probably because I woke up at 5am.  But I felt better once I left work.  Got a lot done in the evening, picked my son up from after school care, picked up daughter from day care.  Got home started prepping and cooking 4 lbs of organic chicken thighs (baked), 1.5 lbs organic ground beef (cooked on stovetop with seasoning and later added compliant tomato sauce), and diced up and sauteed red potatoes in a skillet.  Fed the kids their dinner.  My wife put the daughter to bed.  Then I read some books with my son and got him ready for bed.  850pm-ish left for the gym and got a very good workout in from about 9-10pm.  Came home for PWO snack and to cool down with a crossword and some water.  In bed by 1105.  

B: leftover rotisserie chicken thighs and drumsticks, sauteed kale w/ sea salt, small serving butternut squash, half avocado

L: leftover beef chili over cauli-rice, roasted brussels sprouts and broccoli, coconut milk and some macadamia nuts and cashews

D: baked chicken thighs, diced, sauteed red potatoes, raw yellow peppers, half avocado

Workout: 9-10pm: foam roll, front squats and a crossfit WOD

Post workout (around 1015pm): 4 oz grilled chicken

[Juice06870]

Day 10 was fairly good.  I have been going to bed late this week because I have been working out in the evenings.  So I did not get up early.  I was out of bed around 640, just as the kids were getting up.  So by that point it's a scramble to get everyone sorted out for the day.  I did make time to prepare some breakfast and pack my lunch for the office though.  I did my foam rolling and mobility at the office gym around 130pm, which was a nice break from the desk and I felt a lot better after.  (I had an intense lower body-focused workout the night before so my legs were a bit tight and sore from that and it helped a lot).  

After work I prepared some veggies for dinner and the next few days.  Diced and sauteed zucchini in olive oil.  Baked some brussels sprouts.  Got my daughter put to bed around 7ish.  Hung with my son for a bit and then hit the gym from 9-10pm.  I made the mistake of starting the process of helping my wife set up her new Iphone after that and it took a long time, so I didn't get to bed until after midnight last night.   This means I need to get to bed early tonight, so either NO gym, or I have to find a way to get there earlier.  I although I feel fine and energy levels seem pretty good, I do need to get a good night of sleep so my body can rest and recover.  

B: 5 cage free eggs, scrambled with diced red potatoes, mushrooms and spinach w/ hot sauce + hot sauce.   Half avocado.

L: Leftover beef chili over cauli rice with black olives.  Broccoli and brussels sprouts.

D: Baked chicken thighs, sauteed zucchini, brussels sprouts, a small portion of leftover butternut squash.  Half avocado.

Post WO: 1 cup egg whites + Tessemae's ketchup.  

 

I feel a little stuffed this morning.  Not sure if it's from breakfast or just a byproduct of the Whole30 process effecting my body.  MY pants are all still super tight, so I hope that I am fitting into them better after 30 days and more.  

[kittycat]

Well done! Thumbs up!

From someone who has made the mistake of sleeping too little VERY often: Your felt stuffiness may well come from that. It is also what kept me from losing weight for a long time, so good job on making that a priority.

[AnitaC]

On 1/5/2018 at 10:58 AM, Juice06870 said:

Cool, I will start to try to post more of my meals then, I haven't done too much of that because I wasn't sure who really would be reading it.  

...

But remember - that 2 weeks is way too short of a time to notice any changes.  Everyone is different, but it probably takes almost that long for the body to really get itself adapted to the program, and then from there the weight and fat could hopefully start coming off.  

I like reading the meals because it gives me ideas. This is my first Whole30 (currently Day 9). Also, I needed to read your last paragraph. I'm on Day 9 and I wondering why I'm not skinny and maybe I'm doing something wrong. Every now and then I run into the kitchen and aggressively re-read every ingredient list because I'm so scared there's something I've missed but no, I need to be patient (ugh). So thanks!

[Juice06870]

Day 11 came and went.  Nothing to write home about.  Didn't feel terrible, didn't feel great.  Just a regular day.  Took the day off from the gym to make sure I could get to bed at 10pm (which I did).  Fell asleep pretty quickly, and I am continuing to notice that I am sleeping very deeply.  This is one of the best benefits of this program for me.  I did not do any foam rolling or mobility either.  However I do have a portable massage/roller stick at the office and I used that at my desk to roll out some knots and soreness from my legs during the day (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075DZSC4D/ref=sspa_dk_detail_2?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B075DZSC4D&pd_rd_wg=z4D95&pd_rd_r=5AEH5MNGZ1E57V6SGT6P&pd_rd_w=VAUeO)

B: 5 cage free eggs with mushrooms, diced red potatoes and spinach + hot sauce.  Half an avocado.

L: Baked chicken thighs with leftover sauteed zucchini. Baby tomato and cucumber salad with salt and EVOO.

1/4 cup or so of solid coconut milk

D: Leftover ground beef with compliant tomato sauce over cauli-rice and hot sauce..  Half avocado. (I should have had another veggie or 2)

After dinner snack: about 1/4 cup solid coconut milk.

 

Later today I have to drive about 2.5 hours to Massachusetts to attend to some family matters first thing tomorrow morning.  I will be staying in a hotel that has a very good restaurant.  Normally I would check in and then go sit at the bar, have some wine or beer and dinner.  I am sure I could throw together a compliant meal from the menu and just drink some tea or sparkling water, but I am not sure yet.  I am going to bring some food with me to keep in the room just in case.  Grilled chicken, a couple of avocados, some RX bars (for emergencies).  There is a very good local Whole Foods type market in town there as well, so if I can get there before they close at 7pm, then I will grab a few extra things there.  Sauerkraut, veggies, kombucha, etc.  

There is a gym next to the hotel that I will have free access to, so if I am really feeling energetic, maybe I'll go there tonight for a workout.  Ideally I would rather hang in the hotel (it has a lot of neat nooks, and common areas), and catch up on a reading a book that I have been stalled on since October....

[Juice06870]

Day 12:

Up early for foam rolling my legs and mobility work.  Feeling some general improvements, especially when I wake up in the morning, not as sore and tight.  Still a way to go though before I get to where I hope to be.

B: 5 cage free eggs scrambled with mushrooms and peppers, w/ hot sauce, half avocado.  2 large coffees on way to work and at work.

L: Baked chicken thighs over cauli-rice with hot sauce.  Brussels sprouts.  Coconut milk (solid).

Had to get in the car and drive 2.5 (ended up being 3 hours with traffic) to Massachusetts.  I arrived after the local health market closed, so I went to a regular supermarket and bought some stuff for dinner that I ate in my hotel room.

D: Grilled chicken breast. Bagged kale salad with green beans and peppers.  Full avocado sliced into salad.  Sauerkraut.  Kombucha and an herbal tea.  

Went to bed just after 10, but despite how tired I was, I could not sleep and didn't really fall asleep until almost midnight.

 

Day 13: awoke around 730, so I still had a decent night of sleep.  Did my mobility right away and then had to shower and run to a 9am appt.  My eating schedule was terrible because of a hectic morning and early afternoon.  

Around 9am: RX bar and macadamia nuts & walnuts.  

Around 10am: Another RX Bar

L: (around 230pm while driving home from Massachusetts)  Chilled grilled chicken, macadamia nuts and walnuts, sauerkraut, apple and coffee.

D: Baked organic buffalo wings.  (tossed in coconut oil, salt and pepper, baked 45 minutes on a rack, tossed in compliant hot sauce after cooking) with Tessemae's Ranch Dressing.  Solid coconut milk and some macadamia nuts.  Herbal tea.  

It is now day 14 (yay!), but I woke up pretty cranky and tired today (boo!).  Have not been to the gym in 3 days, so I am going to do that very shortly.  

[littleg]

I checked out ROMWOD.  Let me preface my opinion by saying I would not have said this 2 years ago before all I've gone through the last year.  I wasn't a fan.  There aren't really any cues for people to make sure they are getting the mobility in the place intended vs a blindspot.  For example, in the low lunge stretch a lot of people lose a neutral pelvis and get the stretch accomplished by cramming their lower back into hyperextension vs keeping a neutral pelvis and getting the stretch as intended in the front of the hip.  Since I'm now in the camp of f'ed up biomechanics I can't have sloppy cues.  I also would have loved it if you could have filtered videos by "foam rolling"  But no loss, it was a free trial!  If you move well and intuitively have proper biomechanics (again, I do NOT) then I think it would be a useful addition to your workouts.  

Because of your suggestions I have been foam rolling for the last 2 days!

[Juice06870]

On 1/15/2018 at 1:56 PM, littleg said:

 Because of your suggestions I have been foam rolling for the last 2 days!

I'm glad one of my suggestions was successful!  I know what you mean about Romwod, fair enough.  It's been working very well for me, but if you find something else, please let me know.  Always happy to check it out.  

[Juice06870]

Missed a couple of days of entries, busy weekend.  Energy has been decent, but I usually get pretty tired in the afternoon/evening.  My workouts have been great.  Lot of energy for them, and my body is feeling a lot better and more mobile after 2+ weeks of consistent foam rolling and mobility.  My mood could be better, I have still been a pretty short tempered and cranky old man.  I hope that changes soon or my wife and kids might murder me.  It's about 430pm here at the office and I am feeling pretty good, I did not hit a wall this afternoon like I usually would have previously.

Day 14: 

B: 3 pieces bacon (compliant, of course), sauteed kale, 5 eggs scrambled with peppers and mushrooms

Workout: some heavy shoulder presses and a crossfit WOD

Post WO:4 oz grilled chicken and a yam

L: salad with grilled chicken, hearts of palm, avocado, baby tomatoes, EVOO and vinegar

D: grass fed beef taco meat, mixed steamed veggies with Tessemae's Ranch.  Kombucha

Asleep by 930pm (yay)

 

Day 15: 

B: 5 eggs scrambled with peppers, sauteed kale, 3 pieces bacon, half large avocado

Workout: Heavy front squats + crossfit WOD

Post WO: 4 oz chicken breast and yam

L: Baked chicken thighs over cauli-rice, brussels sprouts, half large avocado.  Large coffee.

D: Canned Tuna with Primal Mayo (compliant), Cucumber & baby tomato salad with EVOO