Lokan_V - Whole 30

[Lokan_V]

Day 25 Recap:

Breakfast: Frittata and zucchini 

Lunch: Salad in a jar (so much win!) - Romaine, cucumbers, carrots, ranch, and pistachios (I am definitely a creature of habit!)

Snack: Lemon Lara Bar

Dinner: Kalua pig with cabbage and onions, side of poi

Reflection:

The frittata I made the other day is not the best. I ended up using canned spinach (hurricane stash) because I didn't have fresh spinach on hand and WOW what a difference! It is not a delicious as it was the first couple times. It's kinda gross.

Even after Whole 30, I think I will continue to bring Salad Jars (I don't know the official name) to work, at least twice a week. What an easy way to get a lot of veggies in one meal. I like easy.

I did have a snack today. I know Whole 30 discourages snacking but my schedule is just too drawn out. Between lunch and dinner, I usually eat at least 7 hours without eating anything. I can do it, but that's a long time! Almost like overnight! And while I can do it, and have been doing it for a couple weeks, I don't feel my best. 

Here's my normal eating schedule:

6:30 am - Breakfast

12:00 pm - Lunch

7:00 pm - Dinner

Most days I'm able to eat by 6 and it's not that big of a deal. But days when dinner is 7pm or later, I really struggle. So I've added a snack time at 3:30 pm. I know snacks should be mini-meals, I didn't prepare for this week very well and don't want to run out of food.

Whole 30 has helped me let release some of my perfectionism, too. I think that's what held me back from even starting to make "healthier choices" in the past. I didn't know where to start and didn't want to struggle and fail. So I just did nothing. I tend to not start anything I don't believe I can finish. But with Whole 30, it seemed like something I could do and complete! My perfectionism probably saw me through the first two weeks - I didn't slip or cheat not only because of my health, but because I wanted to "win", and not fail. 

I'm starting to make choices on what makes me feel better, not because it's required of me or I feel obligated. I'm only obligated to myself, not a program or anyone else. And it feels good!

Thanks for sticking around!

[jennplaystheguitar]

I know what you mean about the perfectionism! You are not alone! Good luck in your journey and endeavors in Whole30 and beyond. I just ended day 3, and hope I can make it all the way!

[Lokan_V]

On 9/1/2018 at 4:40 PM, jennplaystheguitar said:

I know what you mean about the perfectionism! You are not alone! Good luck in your journey and endeavors in Whole30 and beyond. I just ended day 3, and hope I can make it all the way!

You can totally do it! Take it day by day, meal by meal. You got this!

[Lokan_V]

Day 26 Recap

Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs and a Salad

Lunch: Steak and Spaghetti Squash

Snack: Boiled egg, banana, and almonds

Dinner: Chicken, laulau, poi

Reflection: I forgot to pack a snack for the afternoon! My son had soccer practice this day and I knew it would be really late by the time we got home. About 7 hours between lunch and dinner! I was going to run to Target to get RX bars, but then decided to check out the gas station at the corner of where I work. They do sell RX bars but they were super expensive. And I got really excited about maybe eating a chocolate coconut bar. But that's when I pumped my brakes!! NO WAY. I was getting WAY TOO excited about the Rx bars. So I put them back, and grabbed an egg, a pack of almonds, and a banana. Done!

Day 27 Recap

Breakfast: Frittata and potatoes

Lunch: Laulau and poi, with pineapple

Dinner: Steak, Chicken, Zucchini, potatoes

Reflection: Feeling really good and excited to reach the end of Whole 30. 
 

[Lokan_V]

Day 28 Recap

Pre-workout: Scrambled egg and pistachios (protein + fat)

Post-workout: Frittata and potato (protein + carbs)

Lunch: Rx Bar

Dinner: Scrambled Eggs and a salad

Reflection: I THREW OUT MY BACK! Oh man, I was so bummed. I have limited mobility so it was really hard to prepare my food. I also didn't want to eat too many starchy vegetables because my activity only consisted of walking my hallway and turning around in bed. UGH.

Day 29 Recap

Breakfast: Frittata, spaghetti squash, potatoes, sausage patty.

Lunch: Scrabmled eggs with green salad (topped with grapes, walnuts, and cucumbers)

Dinner: Yummy porkchops with garlic rosemary butter! Served with sweet potatoes and onions

Reflection: Just trying to keep moving as much as I can. I noticed that I do have more mobility than when I hurt my back last year. I wonder if the absence of sugar is helping my body heal. With less systemic inflammation, maybe my body is finally able to do what it needs to do to heal itself. 

[Lokan_V]

Day 30 Recap (Whooo hoooo! Happy Dance!!!)

Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs and green salad

Lunch: skipped! (I wasn't hungry)

Snack: 1 apple with almond butter

Dinner: CARNITAS (My favorite)! Bowl of greens, topped with carnitas, guacamole, and cauliflower rice. Last dinner on Whole 30!

Reflection: OH MY GOODNESS I did it! I finished! And I feel amazing! I added an egg to breakfast after reading here on the forums that a serving of eggs is how many you can fit in one hand. I've only been eating 2, so for breakfast I increased it to 3! I wasn't hungry at all during the day. Granted, breakfast was a little later than usual but it wasn't till about 3pm that I realized I didn't have lunch. We surprised my son with a trip to the arcade, so I quickly sliced up an apple and ate it with almond butter. It held me over until dinner. 

[Lokan_V]

WHOLE 30 REFLECTIONS:

Wow. I can't believe it's done! 

The first two weeks were the hardest, but only relatively. I kept repeating to myself "This. Is. Not. Hard.", the tough love phrase that Melissa states in Whole 30. I've given birth, I've have to grieve my mom when she passed suddenly a few years ago; I've been through hard. Staying away from sugar, cheese, and pizza for 30 days is not hard. 

Total weight loss: Just under 15 pounds

I wish I took measurements and a full body picture but I didn't think that far ahead. 

Here are my facial transformations: (before, Day 30, collage - before, halfway, week 3, Day 30 (left to right, down left to right)

 

NSVs (Non Scale Victories):

Clearer skin

Less headaches (I still get them, but not as intense- I think they are stress related)

Decreased inflammation

NO MIGRAINES*

And on Day 31, I finally woke up before my alarm clock! I've been waiting for this day and it finally arrived!

My energy was stable throughout the day

Slept better (sleepy around 9:30, asleep by 10:30, up at 6 am)

Stopped snacking

Able to consider my hunger cues and emotional needs before reaching for food.

*I threw out my back on Saturday, Day 28. It's happened twice before, about a year apart from each injury. Before, it would take me at least 48 hours to be able to walk again without too much pain. This time around, by Monday (Day 30), I was walking virtually pain free! I could sit and walk/shuffle slowly, get up off the floor, sit on my bed, without too much trouble. My muscles are tight and I don't have my full range of motion, but I'm so much further along than before. I think that decreasing the overall inflammation in my body is helping my muscles to heal much quicker.

I can now say that Whole 30 has changed my life!