roupl Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Today begins a new year and a new chapter in my life. Over the last couple of months I have done a fair amount of research to prepare for my first Whole30 so I can commit 100%! My fridge and pantry are stocked and I'm optimistic about the results A little about me: My name is Lindsey and I am 23 years old and currently reside in southwest Minnesota with my boyfriend where I am pursuing a career as a registered nurse. I love to cook, write, listen to music, attend concerts, and take pictures; which I attempt to combine in my blog, Indirect Dedicate. I hope to document my first Whole30 in my blog as I make progress. Feel free to check it out if you feel inclined: http://indirectdedicate.blogspot.com/ In high school I was a competitive swimmer and in the best shape of my life. Since then, I have gradually put on the pounds and have generally been dissatisfied with my body image. Balancing a full course load and a life long battle of self discipline issues have contributed to my current figure. I have made attempts in the past to shed the weight to only be discouraged by insignificant results. The past year, a lot of reflection and revision has taken place and I am making a concerted effort to make this attempt different -- life changing perhaps. Yesterday, I got back into the pool for the first time in years and genuinely felt exhilarated afterward. I can only hope I can continue to sport this optimism as time goes on. Reading the positive testimonials has been encouraging to say the least Happy New Year to everyone and especially to those beginning their first Whole30 like me! -Lindsey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyjo Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Happy new year to you! My dad's side of the family is from Southwest Minnesota--sending you good vibes from Colorado! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roupl Posted January 2, 2013 Author Share Posted January 2, 2013 Day 1: Lunch --> Grilled chicken breast, dark leafy greens, toasted walnuts, homemade lemon/basil/caper vinaigrette Dinner --> Pork chops with sauteed apples/onions and roasted asparagus with coarse salt and lemon juice Boy, it was tough omitting the salty addition of feta from my salad this afternoon and to resist the temptation to snack before/after meals. It really helps to refer to guidelines outlined by the Whole30 Challenge to resist said temptations, though. I don't think I would have been able to otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roupl Posted January 2, 2013 Author Share Posted January 2, 2013 Happy new year to you! My dad's side of the family is from Southwest Minnesota--sending you good vibes from Colorado! Thanks, dear! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSB1960 Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Good job on day 1 ! My problem is diet coke, oh how I miss it! This is day 2 for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roupl Posted January 2, 2013 Author Share Posted January 2, 2013 Day 2 (2:00AM): Came home from a movie with my boyfriend, where we both resisted purchasing a large amount of popcorn and soda. However, we found ourselves unbearably hungry afterward. So we came home and I cooked up some bacon and eggs with some red peppers. I think we need to look into more paleo friendly snacks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derval Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Well done resisting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roupl Posted January 2, 2013 Author Share Posted January 2, 2013 Day 2 (3:00PM) After a long shift at work, I was dying for a nap, but knew I had to eat beforehand. I cooked up some green peppers, onions, and sunny side up eggs. The runny yolk with a pinch of salt emulated cheese in a sense and I almost didn't miss it! I was browsing around this forum to figure out what it is I need to do to resolve hunger spells in the future (as I experienced late last night). Sounds like I need to look into more soup recipes! Along with larger, more balanced meals. Snacking seems like a naughty word here. I'm still working my way through the book, so I'm sure I will be more informed on this matter as time goes on. For dinner, my boyfriend requested that we have a nice dark leafy green salad covered in...RANCH. I'm going to follow the recipe provided in "Well Fed" and I'm hoping it suffices! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kb0426 Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 FAT. It is the KEY to making sure you are not hungry! Well, truth is, by following the food template in general, you should not get hungry in between meals. I find that if I skimped on fat, however, that is when I was hungry earlier than planned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roupl Posted January 3, 2013 Author Share Posted January 3, 2013 What I am hopeful for by the end if my first Whole30 1) Improved concentration/memory My memory is usually impeccable so it is incredibly frustrating when I constantly misplace items or forget school assignments. Also, it seems that through a majority of my college career, I have difficulty reading for long periods of time. When you're in nursing school that tends to make studying the material difficult... In addition to that, I like writing, and feel as if it is something I am good at, but it takes me a LONG time to hammer out a research paper. I constantly get distracted and reviewing journals is such a chore! Even paying attention in class is difficult! I've always thought, "today is going to be different -- you're going to be more self disciplined" and it never happens; thus the cycle resumes. I have been reading ISWF and to begin with, it was a slow read and I had difficulty absorbing the material, even though I have a pretty thorough medicinal background. I would read a few pages, suddenly feel tired, and put down the book. After starting Whole30 I have been breezing through chapters and understanding the material the first read through. Now, it could all be in my head, but it's a little encouraging to think my diet modification could be the answer to my self discipline issues. 2) Improved complexion I am 23 years old and am plagued with embarrassing acne and acne scars. I've tried several regimines to no avail and I am left to cover my face in makeup, thus contributing to the formation of additional acne. And it has only gotten worse since I started dating my current boyfriend last summer. When I was single, I didn't go out as often and I took more time to prepare nutritious meals for myself. When I first started dating my boyfriend, we went out drinking every other weekend and consumed convenient and processed meals regularly. I noticed my acne got worse and became more difficult to control. Even though we have both made concerted efforts to eat better, I still haven't been able to keep my acne under control and it really impairs my self esteem. Just as a large pimple dissipates, another one forms elsewhere. If the slightest bit of resolution of my acne results from the Whole30 challenge, I will be incredibly thrilled! 3) Improved skin integrity My lips and skin are always dry. I have to bathe my skin in lotion on a daily basis to curb dryness and irritation. The brutal MN winters may contribute to my overall skin integrity, but it very well may be a direct result of what I eat. 4) Improved circadian rhythm I'm laying here in bed at 5:00AM typing this from my phone, because I can't sleep. Usually I sleep well, but I haven't had very much luck the past couple of days. Which usually results in a counter productive nap around 2:00PM the following day. Next thing I know, three hours have passed and I have wasted my afternoon. Ideally, I would prefer to have a more consistent sleep pattern. When I lay down to go to sleep, I don't want to toss and turn for 3 hours and grow increasingly anxious as I count how many hours I have left to sleep before my alarm clock goes off. Especially on those mornings when I have to wake up at 5:00AM and drive up to 1 hour to my clinical site. That is quite the list...if compliance with the Whole30 challenge resolves what I previously mentioned, I will be ecstatic. If my skinny jeans fit a little better as well, that will just be a bonus After just 2 days I am happy to report that I already feel and appear less bloated. Let's hope it's only onward and upward from here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derval Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Hope all you whole30 dreams come true Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roupl Posted January 3, 2013 Author Share Posted January 3, 2013 Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roupl Posted January 4, 2013 Author Share Posted January 4, 2013 Before photo: I am currently 5'9" and 185lbs and pale as ever...yikes! Excuse my messy apartment Anywho, if I keep eating this way, I'm hoping I can finally eradicate that stubborn lower abdominal cushion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roupl Posted January 11, 2013 Author Share Posted January 11, 2013 I have been quiet for a few days, day 10 has come and gone with ease! I have no desire to snack in between meals now and I was telling my boyfriend the other day that I have an annoying amount of energy. I deep cleaned our apartment and I have been pretty creative in the kitchen. However, my performance in the gym was disappointing. I've never cared for running, it's just too uncomfortable, I'd much rather swim laps, but I ran for a few minutes anyway, before I had to opt for speed walking. I was moving and keeping my heart rate up at the very least. I just need to be persistent. Hopefully this momentum continues when school starts back up next week! here are a few meals I have prepared the last couple of days: This was an attempt to use up my produce before I made another trip to the grocery store: Pork (seasoned with cumin, garlic salt, cayenne, and coriander), red peppers, green peppers, spinach, and leeks with a fried egg Mashed sweet potato with cinnamon and coarse salt Citrus Carnitas from "Well Fed". A lot of my friends said it looks like poop, but it was super tasty! I paired it with some red peppers and onions and a broccolini slaw dressed in a creamy avocado dressing Berries with toasted almonds and coconut milk whipped cream from "Well Fed"...OH MY GOODNESS this was a delicious treat. Homemade chicken (ahem) noodle soup, right down to the chicken stock, with everything except...the noodles haha. I surprisingly didn't miss them! And a side a mashed sweet potatoes with cinnamon and coarse salt I'm really proud of this one. Chicken breast with roasted eggplant and homemade roasted red pepper sauce and fresh thyme...yummo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derval Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 All looks delicous, well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roupl Posted January 23, 2013 Author Share Posted January 23, 2013 I have been quiet lately, but school has resumed and I haven't had much time write daily logs. I started a thread called "Food Porn" in the cooking section with some pictures of dishes I have made recently. Feel free to check it out: http://forum.whole9l...6008-food-porn/ I can't believe it's day 22 already! I can't say it has all been easy, but it's the home stretch now! At this point, my acne isn't as prominent, but I still have some stubborn acne scars that appear to be slowly but surely healing with some ointment I have been using. My Mom said my skin is more clear and she asked what my secret was Also, she said my teeth are more white. I haven't even been using any new toothpastes or whitening strips, so that's a nice bonus! My energy has notably improved. In the mornings, I used to be dependent on AT LEAST 4 cups of coffee to get my day going (I know, right?). I won't be able to ditch the coffee, but with my improved energy, I have been able to decrease the amount I drink on a daily basis. If you recall in a post I made a couple of weeks ago, I usually have difficulty paying attention in class. It could be that my professors are more interesting this quarter, but I have never been this focused in my life, seriously! I'm not yawning half way through lecture, I have been able to take thorough notes, and completing the assigned readings has not felt as draining as it has in the past. ALSO, my performance in the gym is the greatest it has been in a LONG time. A couple of weeks ago, I was a little disappointed when I could not even run for 4 minutes straight without feeling uncomfortable. The other day, I ran 1 mile in EIGHT minutes...EIGHT! I haven't been able to do that since high school! Today, I ran 2 miles in 22 minutes. Granted, I walked for a little bit, but still! This is coming from someone that hates to run. It has been liberating to say the least. Every summer for the past ten years, my extended family meets in Davenport, IA where they host The Bix. It's a 7 mile road race and jazz festival. In the past, my finishing time has been nothing to boast about. This year, It would be pretty rewarding if it could be different Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyjo Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 Congrats! On day 22 today and glad to hear you're getting some great results! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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