Whole30 Confessionals - Day 4, A Roller Coaster Ride...

Woke up tired, overwhelmed and totally anxious...

Jumped around for an hour with my gymnastics coach at Cats and felt so much better:-)

I finally sat down and planned out my ridiculous travel schedule... 

7 cities in 10 days, right in the middle of on the Whole30...

HOLY SHIT, AM I GOING TO MAKE IT??? 

Anxiety flooded my veins and after I booked all my flights I felt the need to cook because it was as if it was the only thing I could control.

My anxiety dissipated as I made you (my two viewers) this video on how to make 'My Soon to be Famous Curry Lamb Meatballs' and Spaghetti Squash'. 

TIP #1: Use any kind of ground protein with this recipe, just make sure you sear the meatballs on all sides. Finish them in the oven when you are ready to eat, 275 degrees for 5-10 minutes, depending on how big your balls you made your ball.

Today's Stats:

Water Consumption:

64 ounces, still feeling bloated & didn't want to drink water:-(

Sleep:

In bed for 7 hours and slept for about 4, not getting better...

Daily Meals:

7:30am - Coconut Milk Latte

10am - 3 Beef Jerky Pieces & Handful of Nuts

1:30pm - Late Lunch: Shredded Cabbage & Veggie Salad with Homemade Cajun Turkey Breast & Avocado

7pm - Dinner: Lamb Curry Meatballs, Spaghetti Squash with 'My Soon to be Famous Homemade Tomato Sauce' on Top of Kale

For more Spaghetti Squash & Meatballs Recipes...

Just in case your wondering, I made it through another day of the Whole30!!!

Day 23 on the Whole30 - DONE & Back from Austin...

So as soon as I checked into my hotel I ordered a refrigerator. It's actually a standard accommodation in most hotels nowadays. I stocked it with all my food and made sure the cooler wasn't too high so my food wouldn't freeze overnight like the last time.

I woke up at 7am and felt pretty good so I had a little frittata and few supplements and headed to CrossFit Central  to take the 7:45am class. 

1 Pull Clean & 1 Thruster, EMOM x 10, followed by a mini metcon. Afterwards, feeling good, I headed to Whole Foods to get coconut milk and an americano. I couldn't wait to get back to my room to make my coconut milk latte. Although a little tricky to figure out I finally opened the can opener with my traveling can opener.

I poured the coconut milk into the americano, turned on the frother and dipped it slowly in...NOTE: Turn the frother on after you've immersed the end into the coffee or it will spray everywhere!!! OOPSIES:-(

The frother worked OK, but my morning Pick-Me-Up was just not the same as the one I can make at home with my Nutri-Bullet:-( Either way, it was better than nothing.

After some computer work, I met my brokers at Whole Foods for a meeting and to my surprise their salad bar was labeled the way it should be labeled...the way they make us (as suppliers/vendors) label things. I voiced my concerns to them over a year ago and although nothing has changed yet in our region (Rocky Mountain) I've seen changes in the Southwest region (where global is located) which means there should be changes in other regions soon which makes me so very excited.

What changes am I talking? 

Well, many of the Whole Foods salad bars don't include the finer print. For example, the hard-boiled eggs...are they organic, free range, pastured raised, conventional? You might assume they are organic because it's Whole Foods, but I think they are probably conventional because it's not labeled. It's a marketing thing, right. Well, the question has finally been answered since they've decided to label it.

Cage-Free Organic eggs...Well, they aren't pastured raised, but who's really keeping track...Now, if they could only start using coconut oil instead of canola oil in some of their prepared foods, that would be amazing...I might not cook as much...???

After my meeting I went to my table top where I met all the SW GTL (Southwest Grocery Team Leads). These are the guys that make execution at their store happen which means better sales and team loyalty for our brand. In order to get their buy-in and create a buzz for them to bring back their store I had to give out tons of FREE SWAG (shirts, cooler gloves, stickers, buttons, free tea). 

After the show I headed to a few stores to check product then I went to the airport. And guess what? Yep, TSA wanted to confiscate my pesto sauce and chicken salad again. Well, my little white lie worked again. So if you are ever get in that situation (Christine) just tell them you have severe food allergies and you won't eat for days if they take your food away from you. 

Blogged on the plane ride back as I ate my 'almost confiscated two-time homemade chicken salad'...

Today's Stats

Water Consumption

125 ounces

Sleep 

7 1/2 hours

Daily Meals

7am : Breakfast - Frittata

9am : Coconut Milk Latte

12pm : Salmon Sashimi & Salad with Avocado, Pico de Gallo, Shredded Carrots & Squash

4pm : Snack - Homemade Jerky & Nuts

6pm : Snack - 2 Hard Boiled Eggs

8am : Dinner - Homemade Chicken Salad 

Day 8 of the Whole30 - Done!

I think the biggest change I've noticed since being on the Whole30 is being mindful of what I eat. Before starting I would graze a lot...a handful of nuts, a few pieces of cheese, a couple pieces of chocolate, snacking while cooking...you get the idea...Was I really hungry or was it emotional eating...I know for a fact I wasn't mindful grazing like that, but was I really hungry...??? 

Now that I've been on the Whole30 for over a week I don't think I was legitimately hungry when I grazed. I think it was some kind of emotional eating (anxiousness, boredom, tipsy, depressed, etc) because I haven't grazed much since I started.

I think there are a few reasons why I haven't grazed:

1. I'm more mindful of what what I eat - I've been taking pictures of everything I eat which connects me to my food, especially since I'm taking so much time to make them photogenic.

2. I'm eating nutrient dense food which is more satiating than processed food.

3. I'm not eating sugar which automatically regulates my blood sugar and energy levels and keeps me from craving more sugary/starchy foods.

Anyhow, I'm going to consciously explore this more over the next few weeks...stay tuned...

Today's Stats

Sleep

7 1/2 hours 

(I'm getting to bed earlier tonight)

Water Consumption

120 ounces 

(I'm not drinking anymore water before bed...I did last night and I woke-up a couple of times which disturbed my sleep...I'll just need to drink more during the day)

Daily Meals

5:45am - My Wake-Up Call : Coconut Milk Latte w/MTC oil

9am - Leftover Frittata with a dollop of arugula pesto sauce

11am Snack : Carrots & heirloom cherry tomatoes with rugula pesto dipping sauce

1:30pm - Lunch : Seared ahi tuna, avocado, fresh jalapeño, cauliflower 'Coucous' on a bed of mixed greens & and dollop of arugula pesto

4pm - Snack : Handful of almonds

7pm - Dinner : Braised leg of lamb & veggies, cauliflower 'Couscous' on top of a bed of mixed greens doused in lamb broth and dollop of arugula pesto

Are you mindful when you eat or do you graze?

Day 7 of the Whole30 - DONE!

OMG, I was told of the 'cheating nightmares' but I never experienced them before until last night. I actually woke up in a sweat because I felt so guilty about eating a roast beef panini with melted brie, french fries, and an iced cold beer (and I don't even like beer). Anyhow, the guilt wore off after I realized it was a dream. 

After laying in bed for about 1 hour, I had this urge to do yoga. I have no idea why, but I did. So I texted Jen and she met me Yoga Pod for a 9:30am class. It was so packed it was hard to move without thinking you were going to smack the person next to you, but that feeling started to dissipate when the instructor asked if anybody had any intentions for the New Year...For some reason I wanted to raise my hand and share my intentions with a room full of strangers...I guess I felt like the more people who knew about my intentions the more accountable and discipled I'd be towards accomplishing them... 

Anyhow, I held back the urge to voice my New Year's intentions and the instructor went on to talk about having discipline, freedom and playfulness when working towards intentions. I knew I needed discipline, but freedom & playfulness...why? As we flowed through the movements, I began getting frustrated because I couldn't get into many of the poses I used. 

'I'm just really tight.' 'I had a long week working out.' 'There are too many people in here, I have no space to move.' My 'chatty doll' kept making all these excuses in my head, but bottom line I haven't consistently practiced yoga in years. I shouldn't expect to be good at something if I'm not consistent doing it.

'Find the smile within and hold half moon for just a little longer', the instructor said. You should've saw me. I was a bubbling fool trying to hold that pose. My hamstrings were screaming, my feet were wobbling, and just when I thought I had my balance I fell, but somehow I began smiling from the inside. The frustration suddenly turned into playfulness and freedom. Instead of getting mad at myself for not being good at yoga, I began to laugh at myself and time started to fly by. This particular yoga class was just what I needed to help me realize the need to balance discipline with freedom and playfulness when working towards intentions. 

I'm going to yoga at least once a week for a few months to see if it's something I need in my life and if it is I will fit it in.

After yoga I went shopping and prepped my meals for the week. 

Breakfast - Huge Frittata with all the leftovers I could find in the fridge.

Monday & Tuesday Dinner - Roasted Leg of Lamb

Morning Meal & Snack - Bone Broth 

Snack - Homemade Beef Jerky

In My Fridge For The Week (starting left to right in the front row)

- Flat Iron Steak marinated with a cilantro, jalapeño vinaigrette 

- Roasted Cauliflower 'Couscous' Medley 

- Seared Wile Ahi Tuna

- Cilantro, Jalapeño Sauce (I boiled the leftover steak marinade to make this sauce)

- Kale Chips

- Arugula, Coconut Milk, Jalapeño, Ginger and Almond Pesto

- Crunchy Fried Kale Stems (makes a great garnish or snack)

- Roasted Trumpet Mushrooms

Today's Stats

Sleep 

8 1/2 hours (Yeah!)

Water Consumption

110 ounce (I'll drink more before bed)

Daily Meals

8:30am - Coconut Milk Latte w/MTC oil

12pm - Leftover Frittata

2pm - Handful of Macadamias & Cashews

4pm - Carrots and Dijon Mustard

7:30pm - Flat Iron Steak with cilantro & jalapeño marinade, roasted trumpet mushrooms, roasted cauliflower 'Couscous' with kale stems on top (for crunch) and kale chips with arugula pesto. 

What intention do you have that needs discipline, freedom and playfulness...???

Day 6 of the Whole30 - My Birthday!!!

This morning I woke to a beautiful view of the sunrise. I mean the clouds looked like floating pillows in a sea of ambers. I felt really refreshed because I'm finally getting really good quality sleep. My body, although a little sore in places, felt strong. I think the message I got from Melissa last night helped me recover from a long week, but the real turning point is making it through 5 complete days of eating clean, drinking lots of water (flushing out the toxins) and focusing on getting enough sleep. I got A's in eating clean and drinking water this week, and a B in sleep, until last night. I actually got a little over 8 hours of sleep last night, since I didn't have to teach at 6am this morning...UMMMM, should I give-up the early morning classes so I can get more sleep....UMMMM...No, I love coaching the people too much to give them up...I guess I just have to structure my schedule to get to bed earlier...Hence, my intention for the next week...I need to prep dinner earlier, so I can blog earlier, so get to bed to earlier...This means I need to plan and prepare tomorrow (Sunday) in order to make this happen during the week...

Anyhow, I felt really blessed this morning waking up to a beautiful sunset with my husband & dogs by my side. Then walking into BCF to coach an amazing group of people who all have similar fitness and lifestyle goals and who all care about each other so much. I was thinking about this morning's WOD all week. It had to be special for me and for them. I wanted them to feel independent, but dependent at the same time and it had to include 38 reps of everything since I was turning 38. Well, I think it did all that. Although we broke up into teams (dependence) everybody had to do 38 reps of each movement until your team could move onto the next station (independence). The people who completed the movement first cheered on the their team (dependence). 

That type of workout is like life, it's ultimately up to you to do (whatever it is you want to do...independence), but having a community of people by your side to support you (dependence) helps you push through, especially in challenging times and when you find yourself out of your comfort zone. 

Walking into CrossFit this morning and seeing so many people want to work out with me on my birthday was the best birthday gift...actually it wasn't until it was over I was truly grateful...Thank you all for sharing the day with me...I believe this is going to be a transitional year for me and I appreciate your support!!!

The Whiteboard...

The Majority of the Culprits on the Whiteboard...

My Birthday Stats:
Water Consumption
140 ounces!!!
I'm peeing like a race horse, it's annoyingly awesome...

Sleep
8.25 hours!!!!!

Daily Meals
7:30am - Morning Wake-Up Call: Coconut Milk Latte w/MTC oil
12pm - Brunch : Omelet with leftovers from last night (roasted veggies, steak and chimichurri sauce) and avocado...Thanks Jon!

 2pm - Snack : Handful of unsalted organic cashews

Birthday Dinner @ Greenbriar

So ordering was definitely a process, but from the start I informed the waiter that I was allergic to gluten and dairy and asked for his recommendations. The protein wasn't an issue, it was all the sides and sauces that was filled with dairy and gluten. 

7:30pm - Appetizers : Oysters

8pm - Another Appetizer : Table-Side-Handmade Steak Tartar

 

8:30pm - Main Course : NY Strip with King Crab, asparagus, sautéed mushrooms, and chard

Beef Tenderloin, lobster, chard and fried carrots

Beverage - Pellegrino...I think that was the first birthday in a very long time that I didn't have a drink...I didn't even crave or want one...That's an awesome feeling:-)

The funniest was getting the itemized check. 

***Hold This** **Sub That** **NO GLUTEN** **NO**

I think informing the waiter from the start I was allergic to dairy & gluten instead of 'being a picky eater' made all the difference in how our meals were made and our waiter treated us...

How am I feeling...???

Well, as I mentioned above, I woke up feeling really great. Before starting the Whole30 I was in a real rut...low energy, negative mood, bloated, depressed, etc...I know I'm only 6 days in, but everything has changed...I'm more focused and I'm out to get things done, personally & professionally!!!

How about you...??? How do you feel...??? If you're not living up to your full potential what kind of changes do you think you need to make...???

Day 5 of the Whole30 - Done!

I look back at yesterday's post and I guess I was a little nostalgic, posting pictures and remembering my childhood...I blame it on my birthday, it's tomorrow...38 years old...HOLY SHIT, time flies...When your young 1 hour seems like 1 day and as you get older you have no idea where the times goes...

I have to say I feel stronger, fitter and healthier than ever before and I owe that to eating clean, being part of the paleo/primal community and CrossFit...

I worked out all my life, but I always did it for the wrong reasons. I did it to ultimately loose weight. I was under the impression, like many of us, that in order to loose or maintain weight it was all about calories in & calories out. If you restrict your calories by eating less then you can loose weight by working out and burning more. The math makes sense, but that method is true if you are morbidly obese and need to loose a ton weight. If you need to loose a little tire around your belly, then it's all about eating clean, sleeping right and drinking tons of water. Which I have successfully done today.

Here are my stats for today:

Water Consumption

124 ounces (I'm going to drink about 24 ounces before bed)

Sleep  

7 1/2 hours (I get to sleep in a little later tomorrow so I should get 8 tonight!!!)

Daily Meals

5:30am - Morning Wake-up Call : Coconut Milk Latte w/MTC oil

8:30am - Breakfast : 4 Egg McMuffin(less)

11am - Snack : 3 pieces Beef Jerky

1pm - Lunch : Wild Sockeye, sautéed rainbow chard and sweet potatoes (leftovers from dinner last night)

5pm - Snack : Carrots and Veggie Dipp

8pm - Dinner : Grilled Iron Steak, roasted veggies (broccoli, carrots, mushrooms) witch a chimichurri sauce 

Looking back, one of my biggest regrets is wasting so much time and energy focusing on being skinny instead of eating right and sleeping well. I guess I wish I really understood the phase 'you are what you eat'...Better late(r) then never, right...So I'm going to be 38 and I finally get it. Well, I pretty sure I'm still ahead of 90% of the population...

What about you...??? Do you get it...??? 

Day of 4 of the Whole30 - Done

So I continued to asked myself the same question all day today...Why am I doing the Whole30...??? Yesterday I thought the reason was because 'I knew by the end of the Whole30 I would feel happy, energetic, and sexy'. How did I know that? Well, I've done the Whole30 once before (although I wasn't 100% compliant...I had few drinks, some rice with sushi and corn tortillas) and by the end my mood and energy levels lifted and I felt sexier because the spare tire around my belly disappeared.

I see so many people depressed, lethargic and bloated and gotta believe it's all about what they put in their body. I mean it makes sense...If you are what you eat then it's only logical that if you eat well, you will feel well, but if you eat crap you'll feel crappy...

Ever since I was a little I loved food...

If my parents put food in front of me I would eat it...

At a early age I learned to shop for groceries...

I knew I was going to be a chef...

As my younger years started passing by, I began developing really crappy eating habits and I remember feeling crappy. I used to secretly eat junk food when my parents weren't looking. My brother remembers me hiding candy in my nightstand at the age of five. At such a young age I was already addicted to sugar and other processed foods. I remember having really bad constipation and migraines. By the age of 10 I was borderline obese.

   

When you experience the difference between unhealthy and healthy, you realize you'd do anything to be healthy. If you never experience the difference, chances are you'd continue your usual (poor) habits.

Ok, enough of my ranting and pictures of my past...here are my stats for today:

Water Consumption

144 ounces - I am doing good!

Sleep

7 1/2 hours - I need to go to bed now to get 8 tonight

Daily Meals

5:30am - Morning Wake-up Call : Coconut Milk Latte w/MTC oil

8:30am - Breakfast - 3 Egg McMuffin(less) 

11am - Snack : 1 more Egg McMuffin(less)

I made these with cherry tomatoes, arugula, peas, and my herb roasted turkey breast. I also whipped some homade garlic & jalapeño aioli in the egg batter to make it creamy (& since I can't add cheese)...

1:30pm - Lunch : My Herbed Roasted Turkey, peas, avocado on a bed of greens

7:30pm - Dinner : Seared Wild Sockeye Salmon, roasted sweet potatoes and rainbow chard 

How did I feel...???

I woke up really tired. I actually woke up telling myself that I wasn't going to workout today, but I did because we had uneven groups so I partnered up. I felt like I was just going through the motions, not pushing myself too hard, although I must say that I felt better at the end of the workout. I still feel really bloated, and although I can't say I'm unhappy and I can't say I'm happy...The word that comes to mind is...BLAH:-(

Anyhow, tomorrow is another day...

Day 3 of the Whole30 - Done!

As I was scraping a sheet of ice off my windshield so I can drive to coach at 6am this morning I kept asking myself why...why am I doing the Whole30...??? What is the real reason? I don't really want to loose weight. I already eat pretty clean. I don't eat much gluten. I don't eat legumes. I rarely eat processed foods. I don't eat that much sugar...??? 

When I'm are on the Whole30 I really have read ingredient labels and the more I read them the more I understand how sugar is secretly hidden in everything. Manufacturing companies manipulate ingredients to produce products that scientifically taste good and are addictive. Next time your about to buy food that comes in a box, bag, pouch, bottle, or can (aka anything processed/not real) read the ingredient and see if you see any of the following alternative names for sugar.

I've been working in the natural foods industry for over 10 years and believe me, it's not that natural. Their is much confusion about what 'all-natural' even means and just because something is organic doesn't mean it's good for you. 

OK, I'll stop ranting about the natural foods industry and get back to the question I was asking myself this early morning...why am I really doing the Whole30...??? You see, if I don't answer this question now (Day 3) then I probably won't make it through the entire 30 days. 

Although I don't eat much sugar, I drank a lot of sugar over the holidays...I don't drink soda, juice or other sugary drinks...My beverages of choice is water, tea, coffee and tequila and I must admit I drank a little too much tequila over the holidays...Bottom line alcohol is sugar and sugar (or lack there of) regulates your blood sugar levels which effects your mood, energy levels and metabolism...Anyhow, by the end of the holidays I felt depressed, lethargic, and bloated and I knew by the end of the Whole30 I would feel happy, energetic, and sexy...Needless to say, I can't wait to get to the other side...

Today's Stats:

Water Consumption

168 ounces (worked out about two hours)

Sleep

7 hours (I'm going to get 8 tonight)

Daily Meals

5:30 - Morning Mick-Me-Up : Coconut Coffee Latte

8:30am - After WOD Snack : My Homemade Beef Jerky

9:30am - Breakfast : Hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, avocado, kalamata olives

1pm - Lunch : Leftover roasted veggies on top of a bed of lettuce

4pm - Snack : More My Homemade Beef Jerky

7pm - Snack (while I cooked dinner) : Carrots and homemade veggie dip

7:45pm - Dinner : Herb Rubbed Iron Steak Cabbage Wraps with peas, cherry tomatoes and a side of broccolini

How Did I Feel?

I felt really lethargic and moody today. I didn't really feel like socializing or getting stuff done. I'm hoping I feel better tomorrow.