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.

Day 2 of the Whole30 Done...

Since my New Year's Intention is to drink more water (1/2 my body weight in ounces plus 20 oz for every hour I workout ~ 90 oz), sleep more (8 hours/night) and blog more I'm going to post about my Whole30 experience daily. Check out my Day 1 Whole30 post to see how I prepared for this challenge. 

I'll be documenting all my daily meals, Whole30 recipes (if they are worth posting), my water consumption, total hours of sleep and how I feel along the way. Putting this info out there in cyberspace is completely outside my comfort zone...I mean I don't even have a Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest account....

So why I am doing this? 

Well, I believe in order to change a habit I need to track it and by tracking it out in cyberspace it somehow makes me more accountable then tracking it in my head or in a journal. So, if you are out there reading this and don't hear for the next 29 days, please call me out and ask me if I'm still on track. My last day is Feb 3rd.

Today's Stats

Water Consumption 

42 oz - I need to drink some more water before I go to bed:-(

Total Hours Slept 

6 - I'm going to be earlier tonight

Daily Meals
5:30 - 10 oz Coconut coffee latte with MTC oil
Breakfast at 9:30am - Leftover roasted veggies (cauliflower, beets, and butternut squash) from last night's dinner, 2 hard boil eggs, 1/4 avocado,  bell peppers top with a coconut curry (from last night's dinner)

Snack at 12pm - 1 hard boil egg

Snack at 1pm - handful carrots

Lunch at 3pm (very late for me, but I had meetings all day) - Bed of kale, with my herb roasted turkey breast, 1/4 avocado, 1/2 tomato, carrots, olives

Snack at 6:30 - 3 oz Homemade Beef Jerky  

How Did I Feel?I woke up tired, felt better after coaching and working out. Started to crash a little around 9am, then I ate. Overall, I feel bloated and yucky and know it's because of what I have been eating and drinking the last couple of months. I wasn't hungry for dinner, so I decided to have a cup of herbal tea (stomach ease), take some Night Rest and go to bed....If you have issues sleeping and are looking for a herbal remedy, I highly recommend you research Night Rest...Anyhow, I can't wait to see how I'm going to feel after the Whole30...Only 28 days to go... 

Day 1 of the Whole30 Done...

Well, only 29 more days to go...Day 1 wasn't that hard because I spent all yesterday preparing my meals for the week...I mean I love to cook real food very often so the cooking part of the Whole30 is something I'm very excited about...To tell you the truth the hardest thing was not having a drink at the end of the day, but my liver needs a break, especially after this holiday season...

I challenged myself and my ladies CrossFit program in Sept to do the Whole30...The first week was the hardest, but after that I starting noticing I had more energy, I was sleeping better and my gut shrunk, which really means my jeans fit better, which I looked better naked, which really meane I felt sexier and isn't that what any woman wants...I'm 5 days away from my 38th birthday and if I can feel better and look sexier than I did at 25 then I'm going to do whatever it takes and to tell you the truth the Whole30 is all I have to...

To read more about Whole30 Challenge...

So really question is what nutritionally dense food did I prepare this week that is going to make me satiated enough to not crave sugar-dense, gluten-filled foods...

For breakfast, I need on-the-go high in protein finger foods. I wake up early (5am) to coach (6am) and work-out (7am) and if I don't get something in my system right after then I'll crash around 9am which is the time my 'real job' begins. So I made hard-boiled eggs and mini egg McMuffins (without the muffin)...

  

Click here for perfectly peel hard-boiled eggs

Get my Mini Egg McMuffin recipe.

For lunch I made a herb roasted turkey breast which I will put over salads or make into wraps...Did you know there is a lot of sugar in deli meat, so why not make your own...Next week I'm making pastrami...

Get my herb roasted turkey breast recipe.

For dinner I a made curry braised chicken in a coconut curry soup and roasted veggies...

For snacks I made my famous beef jerky and a couple of veggie dips...

Get my beef jerky recipe...

Get my veggie dip recipe... 

Is there anybody else out there doing the Whole30 with me...???