Ended whole30 a week early.

It's vacation! I started yesterday morning with trying some "fluffy blueberry pancakes" from The Paleo Kitchen. Let me tell you that cookbook is BEAUTIFUL. The pancakes were great but my stomach hated them. I was immediately in the bathroom. Twenty-three days of no sugar and no baked goods, those pancakes weren't a good choice ;)

Last night I also had a stomach issue. Went out to dinner (joint birthday/going away for a friend) and started eating...again immediately in the bathroom. I had grilled chicken with pineapple and onions with some regular fries. I think the fries did me in. Then we got a free dessert due to my birthday. Bacon brownie......honestly, who could say no? Not me. I ate some. This morning another issue.

I tell you these instances to say, I have to stick to the way I was eating for 23 days. It seems that my system can't take anything else. I'm okay with this. I like eating that way. It's hard for other people to understand but I'm liking it. I'd rather feel good all the time than feeling hungover (which I do this morning from the gluten, sugar, and dairy) and running to the bathroom every so often. 

So whole30 seems to have changed my world. I am enjoying it this time around and am going to attempt to continue it during vacation but as I told my friend in NY, I'm going to be good to myself, not beat myself up and enjoy my vacation while still trying to eat whole.

Thanks for reading my rant about my poor tummy and my after vacation choice.

Be happy, healthy, and well.

Rice.....

So I am stopping the whole 30 early (bc of my vacation) and decided to attempt rice today. Well I was sorry!!!!! Tonight I feel awful. I think my body has completely gotten use to my whole30 life and way of eating because I had a tummy ache immediately following the ingestion of rice then a few hours later I had some major issues. I have learned my lesson. My once coveted comfort food is now my enemy. The stomach cramps and the bloat are no joke! I just feel run down and terrible. I have to say for the record, this morning I was great. I only started feeling crappy after the rice.

I have decided to keep a pretty close whole30 diet even on vacation but I felt that since I would be on vacation, rice is a must... NOPE.

Now onto to my birthday. I've made the choice to get a hail merry tart for my birthday. I love them and have a feeling one piece will be enough. I'm very excited for that treat. I'm excited to trythings  and don't anticipate slipping back into old habits. But I do say this before my copy of "The Paleo Kitchen" has arrived ;)

Keep ya posted. I'm currently attempting to work out the nasty feelings and desire to throw up. :D

Day 15 and an injury

Hello!

I am on day 15 of the whole 30 challenge!!!  HALF WAY! I can't believe I'm halfway through and I haven't had any major issues or complaints (besides a bum finger--which I'll get to...). I must say this past week, eating was hard. I didn't feel like doing it for the most part. Just was ambivalent to food-- which is weird for me. But I was. It was a few days and I think maybe it was due to having my cycle. I also have to say I did not cave and get Jeni's grass fed ice cream. I saw it in the store and almost went for it!!! But I opted not to. Another first for me. When I have my period, I typically want chocolate or ice cream or baked goods but this time I didn't succumb to it! I was very proud of myself. In the 20 years I've had my period this was a first! (Yes, it's been 20 years). That was a huge accomplishment! Now onto other matters. I go on vacation soon and I am contemplating stopping the whole30 a good 5 days early. Part of me doesn't want to and wants to keep going but the other part of me really wants to cut it so I can enjoy some chocolate on my birthday or some fries or something. But I can't figure out if that's my socialization and environment or if I really feel like a birthday deserves it (haha). I did want a g-free cupcake but now I think I could settle for some chocolate, goooooood chocolate. I guess I'll determine that while I'm away. I'm very much looking forward to it but it's also a point of contention in my mind because I want to not stop my whole 30 journey because I'm enjoying it this time but I feel like San Francisco needs to be enjoyed through food too......oh so much to think about.

Now to my injury.... I dropped a barbell on my left index finger when re-racking my barbell on Tuesday. Yup 40 lbs on my poor left finger. It got stuck. I underestimated the distance from my finger and the stopper. It hurt and still hurts!!!!!! It's a nice black and blue under the nail and still puffy despite icing. That being said, I had Pilates last night. I would say I did rather well for having an injury. It was great to be back in the studio. I just wish I had the use of all 10 digits. Today I'm typing this with just 9 fingers; it is a difficult task, might I add but I'm getting use to it.

My energy level has been lacking this week I think because of my injury and my period but all in all, I feel good. I even got my mother to cut sugar and gluten and processed foods!!!! I'll write a whole post about her later. But for today, I feel great and I'm hoping to get some exercise in later today. Just a bit, gotta keep moving. On to breakfast!!! Enjoy your day lovelies! Be happy, healthy and well!

Fed Up movie

I've wanted to see this new film called "Fed Up" which documents the food industries changes to processed food over time, the exact moment our country became obsessed with diets/working out/ reduced fat, follows 4 young people (2 are people of color, 3 men and 1 woman) all under the age of 18. What I saw brought tears to my eyes. I watched these young people struggle with their weight and not understand why they weren't loosing weight when they were eating the proper portions of diet food (special k chips, multigrain cereals, pizza --which was said by CONGRESS to be a vegetable). The common denominator is the diet food. To make diet food, you take the fat out, which leaves crappy tasting engineered stuff. To tip the scale, the company's put in sugar. One of these kids cried on screen because she can't understand why the scale isn't going in the direction she wants. She keeps gaining weight. I can relate to her and the struggle she faces every day. I was always a heavy kid. I was teased on the bus. At age 12, I weighed more than my stepmother. I was always on a "diet." The tipping point for my weight was around 18/19-27. I was on hormones for my reproductive system from age 19-23 and all of a sudden started gaining weight. My cholesterol went through the roof. I was the biggest I had ever been weighing 180lbs. I did the special K diet, I drank slim fast (which eventually helped me shed 30 lbs) but I could never break 150lbs. I was stumped. I was so frustrated, like that 12 year old. I could not figure out what was making me stay overweight. I felt for the kids in the movie. One young man was stressed out he was going to die of a heart attack or stroke before 20years old. And there is no one to blame but the food industry. 

Have you ever looked at a label and thought "why isn't the percent of daily amount of sugar listed? It's only the grams of sugar, there is no percent!" This is because if they listed that, you'd be floored. You are getting more sugar in your Starbucks than your daily allotment. I will be honest and say, I enjoy a starbucks drink from time to time. I use to partake everyday or every other day. Since being whole30, it's been 3 weeks. I can now say I enjoy my cold brew with grassfed butter and MTC oil (actually sipping it now).

Did you know sugar is 8 times more addictive than cocaine? A study highlighted in the film, talked about how lab rats were given the choice between sugar water and cocaine and 40 out of 43 chose the sugar water. What does that tell you? We are addicted to sugar. Marketing is meant to get you to buy these sugary things but the problem is sugar cannot sustain you. Sugar immediately goes into the liver and raises your blood sugar, makes you feel hungry, and turns to fat. Almonds or whole food on the other hand, digest longer and the fiber makes you feel fuller longer. 

Something else that amazed me was a comparison between a McDonalds meal for a family of 4 and a chicken meal with some olive oil and whole veggies. Most people, including myself, think about class and access when talking about food. I, for sure, thought the McDonalds meal would be cheaper. It was 12$ MORE than the chicken. And the chicken meal, would probably give you leftovers. 

There were a lot of interesting facts in the film and there is so much that needs to be done. There is a bus that goes into neighborhoods in DC called food deserts. It is essentially is a grocery store on wheels. It's cheaper and the idea behind it is to make food deserts into food oasis. (For more information--I will say, I am still researching it but it's definitely an interesting idea.)

These are small steps in the right direction. What really needs to keep things moving is a call to action to the government. We need to move to sustainability of farms, need to knock those big companies on their butts (in an ideal world) and make good quality food accessible to all!

Something I didn't know was most big company names (Coke, Pepsi etc) sponsor a lot of research to say "a calorie is a calorie" or they have teamed up with the American Doctors Association. WhAT?! Why are we not more outraged? It just doesn't make sense.

After seeing this film, I immediately called my mother. She has been battling with sugar, gluten and a host of physical aliments my whole life. I called her to ask her to see the movie today. We were just talking about sugar addiction yesterday! She promised she'd go. I wish during moments like these, she lived closer. It'd be easier for me to help out and to give tips or suggestions. 

I will honestly say the commitment to whole 30 is ROUGH. There are moments when I find myself thinking about brownies or cupcakes or frozen yogurt because I should be eating those things. But after seeing that movie, I don't think I can bring myself to consume them. It's funny because I'd like to eat something sugary for my birthday but I might have to make a fruit plate and be done. It's amazing how different this whole 30 round is than the last. My mind set has totally changed and my body is proof. It's 7:43AM here and I'm wide awake. This happens a lot. The tiger blood baby! It's coming back. It's amazing how much clearer I am, how much more willing to move I am, how much stronger. Yesterday, someone I haven't seen in about 2 weeks said "you look skinnier and your hair is so shinny!" Part of me wonders if my hair is shinny because of all the fat I'm eating! HAHAHA.

Yesterday during the film, I started thinking ahead to my dining hall days and my meal plan. Oh I'm nervous, so nervous. I'm going to have to be extra careful and planful when it comes to eating there or even during RA training! OY that'll be difficult. Well, that's still 8 weeks away. For today, I have my sweet potatoes, my coffee, my avocados, my sausage and some yummy things in my fridge. I can't be worrying now about what's happening in 2 months.

The point of this post was to encourage everyone to see Fed Up. It really was eye opening and remarkable. I learned a lot and am still processing and trying to process it through a social justice lens because I know I have to be critical of it. 

I hope you all have a lovely Sunday!!!! Happy, healthy, and well.

Ratios and dining out

A side note before my real post:

I'm using my fitness pal on my iPhone to track how much fat/protein/carb I'm getting per day. The creator the 21 day superhero challenge (Emily) suggests 50%fat, 30% protein and 20% carb. I'm trying to stay within that breakdown. I'm not using the tracker to track my calories because I don't care about that. It might sound nuts for some people to hear "50% fat?!" Yup, I'm talking grass fed butter in coffee, coconut oil, MTC oil, avocados , almonds, etc. I will tell you, though oh skeptical reader, I believe this ratio is changing my whole being. I eat less and move more. Some days I feel really worn out but that's because of work and life. I'm sore after workouts but I recover faster. Yesterday, as a snack because I knew I'd be eating later, I had tuna. Yup, straight tuna. 16gm of protein. It was yummy and I didn't even need it all. I've upped my protein in order to even out that fat ratio. I eat veggies with every meal and am feeling great! So, keep in mind the ratios of food you're eating and plan accordingly. Being out is difficult. Today I plan on being away from home all day but know my food options where I'll be and know I can get high quality food with fat and protein. 

Today's whole 30 email is all about eating out. I did just that, twice, yesterday! Lunch was chipotle which is easy because so I can have protein, veggies and fat. Dinner was harder. I went on a date to a new restaurant. I did quite a bit of research prior to going. I was open with my server about my needs and he took that in stride. I had lobster braised in butter and filet mignon. (Surf and turf taco platter sans the tortilla, rice, beans or cheese). It was awesome. I was full and satisfied. That being said, I can tell my senses have changed because my date had short ribs. I smelled it and all I smelled was the delicious aroma of sugar. It was fascinating that I could smell it. I use to be a smeller of food but since going paleo/whole 30. I've done it more.

The easiest thing for me was to say to the waiter "listen, I'm going to be harder than the average customer, I have some allergies and am looking for a specific type of food."  He was more than happy to help. I had questions about sauces and how the lobster was prepared. Luckily he went into the kitchen and asked the questions. Sadly, my meal came with a kale salad (which I was excited about) but it came out and had QUINOA on it. Sadly, that is a grain and not something I can consume. So I left that and just are my protein. So dining out is a challenge but a challenge you have to be willing to invest in and ask for what you need!

Happy Saturday readers. Eat well and be healthy!

Day 7

Tomorrow is already Day 7 of my Whole 30 round two! I can't believe how quickly the time has passed. I will say that I'm working out almost everyday (twice today and Monday). I have more energy already. I was able to increase the weight at the gym this morning and am lifting for longer. I haven't used fruit to kill the sugar cravings because I must be honest, I haven't had real cravings. I've cut my kombucha consumption to one a day or one every other day. (Yes, I know it's only been 7 days but that's huge for me). I had coffee this morning with MTC oil and butter. I tried it cold but I prefer it hot. It's very creamy and tastes better than coffee. The MTC oil is recommended to help the consistency and it's a dietary supplement and helps brain function (from what I've read). I'm eating veggies with every meal and just all around consuming a better variety of foods. I'm really happy with the way things are going. The emails from whole30 are the same as before but look different because I'm not accidentally consuming sugar. I haven't made any slips. Which I think is a huge feat! I'm very proud of that fact! 

Some don't think this is a sustainable lifestyle but I think it's interesting and something that I would consider trying to keep up (within reason and not get too obsessed with it). I'm curious about the changes the next 3 weeks will bring. I do have to say, I plan on stopping before the 30 days is actually up. My birthday and vacation is coming up at the end of the month so I'd like to partake in gluten free treats and some various yummy things. I will probably do it again after that for July then not again until the start of school. We shall see. I think I can keep up most of it but I have to indulge for my birthday. It's only fair ;)

Thanks for reading my latest update!

Whole 30 day 3

This time around is so different!!!! It's been ten time easier than the last time. I'm not sure if it's because I have no dining hall to enable my wandering eye or if it's because my heads in it differently. I'm going with both. The fact is, it's 6:30PST and I'm awake with energy. That hasn't happened in a long while. This morning though, I must confess, I woke up hungry. I popped out of bed and consumed some cashews and a banana. So here I am.

My fridge is stocked and so are my cabinets. I made grocery lists for 4 different stores, as to get the cheapest deal! I'm feeling really good about whole 30 this time. I was really mean to it last time and I think that was a combination of a lot of things. I was fixated on all the "can'ts" and didn't see what I could eat. I felt like I was missing something. This time I don't feel that way at all. This time I'm attempting to look at it like a glass half full. 

I wanted to take a minute to write this post to encourage others if you've done the whole30, try it again! If you haven't done it ever and want a good kick start. Really follow the directions and go for it. It will suck, no lies there. But it'll be worth it. I'm already seeing differences in myself and it's only been 3 days.

This time around, I'm relaying less on fruit to help those sugar cravings. I'm not turning to my go-to, Oh it's fine to have a little of this, I'll just keep going. WHICH I DID. I realize now, I was only hurting my own progress. I'm much more serious about this time around and putting more planning into it. I'm reading better and turning more to protein and veggies when I have a craving. The thing I do find most interesting is my constant need to eat. I'm eating every few hours, not a meal but some smaller. I'm finding that I just am either burning food quicker or am just hungry more often.....I'll go with the former. ;)  

Let's do this. Have a lovely Sunday friends!