wednesday -- day 18! i can't believe we are halfway done with the whole30 challenge. it has been interesting, hard in some ways, easier than i thought it would be in other ways. i have definitely missed chocolate, but i am surprised that the cravings i always had have so greatly diminished. in fact, my craving for sugar in general is way less than it used to be. it is like a fond memory, something in my past that used to be the most important part of my day but is no longer necessary to my existence. i guess you could say i was addicted? lol!! i am almost a little scared at the prospect of dessert -- even a paleo dessert! these days when i want something sweet, i have fruit. i may be having more fruit than most people who do the whole 30, but i don't think i am overdoing it. i am feeling good, i no longer have acid reflux and the exercising is getting easier. and my clothes are fitting looser every day!!
for my breakfast this morning i had scrambled eggs made with two eggs and one egg white, cooked in ghee (clarified butter) and an orange. i was able to eat my lunch at about 1:00 pm. it wasn't much -- i haven't had a chance to cook ahead and there wasn't anything in the fridge to grab. i had an ounce of almonds, about 3 ounces of baby carrots, and an apple. this held me for a couple of hours, and then i was HUNGRY!! i had planned to exercise before dinner and didn't want to have problems like i had previously. so before i did my exercises i had another scrambled egg and about 4 0z of applesauce. that was just enough to let me exercise without issues. i did several variations of leg lifts with a 5 lb ankle weight on each leg, ran up the stairs and through the house 10 times, and i did 10 sit ups. and then my husband and youngest son and i took a 4 mile bike ride. when we got home we started dinner.
dinner consisted of taco seasoned ground meat (combo of ground beef and ground pork), guacamole, salad and cut up veggies. the kids also had some fruit salad. it was really good and i had a lot! i didn't measure exactly how much meat i ate, so i am estimating my calories at somewhere between 1600-1700. my protein content for the day was 23% (100 grams), carbs came in at 17% (83.7 grams) and fat totaled 60% (130 grams). fiber totaled 21 grams.
so now it is time to do dishes and get some food ready for tomorrow. i have one more day of my part time job this week, and i need portable food. this weekend i will be prepping some food ahead of time, especially protein. it has been a challenge for me to keep up on that.
have a great thursday. thanks for reading!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Whole30 challenge, day 17 -- what's happening?
hello again -- sorry i have been awol for so long. i can't believe we are on day 17 of this challenge. my only excuse is i have been working a lot and up late and really tired. things are going well, however. i have definitely lost weight, but i don't know how much yet. one of the rules of the whole30 challenge is that you don't weigh yourself for the entire month. you are not supposed to let yourself get distracted by what you weigh. you are meant to concentrate on getting healthy. when this month is over, i will definitely weigh myself and let you know how much i lost. i will say that last night i tried on a pair of jeans that is one size smaller than what i have been wearing, and i was able to get them buttoned and zipped. they aren't comfortable enough to wear (yet!) but last month i couldn't even come close to buttoning them. this is keeping me motivated!
i have been exercising regularly and eating properly, but i haven't been writing it down for the past week. i have been eating a lot of chicken and eggs and lots of veggies!! i will get back on track with recording everything starting tomorrow. i did do a total of 10 sit ups tonight though!!!
i did want to mention what we did for Easter. we were invited to my sister-in-law's house for Easter dinner, and i mentioned to her that we were doing this challenge and would not be able to eat her ham and the other fixin's that our family traditionally has on that holiday. i asked her if she would be offended if my husband and i brought our own food to eat and she graciously replied that she would not. i thought about what to fix and after talking about it with my husband, i settled on pork tenderloin. i gotta tell you -- much to my surprise, i TOTALLY rocked it!!! i rubbed it with a mixture of spices, including finely chopped fresh rosemary, salt, pepper, cinnamon and . . . i can't remember what else. i found the recipe online, but didn't write it down, and now i can't find it again. i am sorry, because i want to use it again!! anyway, i rubbed the tenderloin with the spices, and browned it on all sides in a skillet with a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil. when the tenderloin was browned, i put it in the oven at about 400 for approximately 20 minutes. at that point, it was time to leave for my sister-in-law's, so i took the tenderloin out of the oven and wrapped it in heavy duty foil. our drive took an hour, and when i unwrapped the tenderloin to serve it, i was amazed. it was the MOST tender, juicy tenderloin i have ever made. it was perfectly cooked and was delicious. we put it on the table with everything else and after my hubby and i had our portions, the rest of the family devoured the remains. we also brought a green salad and some oven roasted veggies that were shared with the rest of the family as well. i can't forget to mention that i also took my traditional green bean casserole (yes, the one made with campbell's cream of mushroom soup) but i didn't have any. in our family, though, that dish is expected at holiday meals.
so, the main things i have noticed over the past week are: i am sleeping better, thank goodness. i have been getting up early and going to bed late though, so i am really tired. i think if i were getting more than 5-6 hours of sleep a night my energy levels would go up. staying up late is a lifelong habit for me -- one i don't think will soon be broken! some days i am not very hungry, other days i am famished all day. i haven't really taken the time to figure out what is different on the days i am hungry.
another thing i have noticed is that even though i really like meat, i am getting tired of trying to figure out how to fix so much protein. some days i just want something that is easier to cook and eat. that's just my lazy side coming out though. i don't want to go back to feeling the way i felt a year ago. this is a lifestyle change. and besides, i can't really complain at all -- my husband has been great through all of this, and he is doing a LOT of the cooking. thanks mr. b -- i love you! you are a great cook!
i have been exercising regularly and eating properly, but i haven't been writing it down for the past week. i have been eating a lot of chicken and eggs and lots of veggies!! i will get back on track with recording everything starting tomorrow. i did do a total of 10 sit ups tonight though!!!
i did want to mention what we did for Easter. we were invited to my sister-in-law's house for Easter dinner, and i mentioned to her that we were doing this challenge and would not be able to eat her ham and the other fixin's that our family traditionally has on that holiday. i asked her if she would be offended if my husband and i brought our own food to eat and she graciously replied that she would not. i thought about what to fix and after talking about it with my husband, i settled on pork tenderloin. i gotta tell you -- much to my surprise, i TOTALLY rocked it!!! i rubbed it with a mixture of spices, including finely chopped fresh rosemary, salt, pepper, cinnamon and . . . i can't remember what else. i found the recipe online, but didn't write it down, and now i can't find it again. i am sorry, because i want to use it again!! anyway, i rubbed the tenderloin with the spices, and browned it on all sides in a skillet with a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil. when the tenderloin was browned, i put it in the oven at about 400 for approximately 20 minutes. at that point, it was time to leave for my sister-in-law's, so i took the tenderloin out of the oven and wrapped it in heavy duty foil. our drive took an hour, and when i unwrapped the tenderloin to serve it, i was amazed. it was the MOST tender, juicy tenderloin i have ever made. it was perfectly cooked and was delicious. we put it on the table with everything else and after my hubby and i had our portions, the rest of the family devoured the remains. we also brought a green salad and some oven roasted veggies that were shared with the rest of the family as well. i can't forget to mention that i also took my traditional green bean casserole (yes, the one made with campbell's cream of mushroom soup) but i didn't have any. in our family, though, that dish is expected at holiday meals.
so, the main things i have noticed over the past week are: i am sleeping better, thank goodness. i have been getting up early and going to bed late though, so i am really tired. i think if i were getting more than 5-6 hours of sleep a night my energy levels would go up. staying up late is a lifelong habit for me -- one i don't think will soon be broken! some days i am not very hungry, other days i am famished all day. i haven't really taken the time to figure out what is different on the days i am hungry.
another thing i have noticed is that even though i really like meat, i am getting tired of trying to figure out how to fix so much protein. some days i just want something that is easier to cook and eat. that's just my lazy side coming out though. i don't want to go back to feeling the way i felt a year ago. this is a lifestyle change. and besides, i can't really complain at all -- my husband has been great through all of this, and he is doing a LOT of the cooking. thanks mr. b -- i love you! you are a great cook!
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Whole30 Challenge, day 7 -- Did I Really Say Every Day?
so when i first started this last week, i said i would post every day. um, okay, yeah. so here i am again, 3 days later. i don't even remember what i had to eat on wednesday. what i do know is that i wasn't able to exercise wednesday morning before i left for my part time job. my husband said we would exercise after i got home that evening. we did that, and i must say i much prefer exercising in the morning. i did not have a snack before i started, and after i did my weights, we left for our walk as usual. while walking, i started to get shaky, hot and a little light headed. i am pretty sure that was my blood sugar taking a dive. i was ok after we got home and had dinner, but i was very tired that night. even so, i didn't sleep well.
on thursday, i had to work my photography job again. i ate my scrambled eggs and sausage on the road at about 7 am. i got to the school i was working at, and started my day. it was a difficult day from the beginning. we were so busy i was not able to eat anything all day. we finished our day at around 4:30 pm. i was famished. i got back on the road and started eating. over the course of the next hour, i at 2 hard boiled eggs, about 3 ounces of baby carrots, an orange, some sliced cucumber and my 1 ounce of dry roasted almonds. a bit later i ate my apple. my total calories for the day totaled about 1169. my percentage of fat was 58% (77 grams) , protein totaled 21% (59.1 grams), carbs came to 22% (67.5 grams). i took in 17.3 grams of fiber. no exercise today except for an hour of setting up my photography equipment, then standing on my feet for 7 hours, then another hour of tearing down my equipment. and lifting 20 pound cases in and out of my car. oh, and i also whacked my head when i closed the tailgate. ouch.
friday, my husband and i were able to work out in the morning again. it was an arm workout day. i also was able to to 12 sit ups with the assistance of my wonderful husband. we did our walk. we have been able to shave approximately 3 minutes off our previous average walk time every day this week. for breakfast it was the sausage/egg scramble, but this time it was accompanied by a large serving of leftover cooked veggies (cauliflower, onions, peppers, broccoli), about 2 cups worth. it was all very good. i had a late lunch of a big salad topped with a chicken breast and accompanied by some yummy guacamole. i also had an orange and 2 ounces of dry roasted almonds for a snack. i wasn't very hungry when i got home, but i was very tired. i laid down on my bed and fell asleep for about an hour. then i woke up, decided i would skip dinner (which was bbq'd top sirloin steak!), watched some tv and then went back to sleep. did not sleep well again.
today (saturday) was a leg workout day. i also did my run up the stairs and through the house. we did our walk in the daylight today! i much prefer walking in the light to walking in the dark. my wonderful hubby saved me a plate from last night's dinner -- bbq'd steak and grilled veggies (onions, sweet red bell pepper, and asparagus). i ate 8 ounces of steak for breakfast. that is insane! a year ago i would never have considered eating steak for breakfast, although i know lots of other people who don't think twice about it. it was a lot -- i probably won't eat that much steak at one time again! for lunch i had a hard boiled egg and an apple. for my snack later in the day i ate 2 oz of almonds and an orange. for dinner i ate 2 chicken apple sausages. my total calories came to 1646. Total fat came to 56% (103.9 grams), total protein was 28% (113.4 grams), and carbs totaled 17% (74 grams). my total fiber intake was 18.5 grams.
so, after a full week of the whole30 challenge, this is what i think: so far the eating part of it has not been as hard as i thought it would be. there is lots of stuff we can eat. it does take more planning and prep than i thought it would. we are cooking everything at home. there are tons of dishes and pots and pans that get dirty. the good news -- i am not really craving my sweets -- yet. yes, i miss my hot cocoa and dark chocolate, but i am not climbing the walls in dire withdrawal. the extra exercise of lifting weights has made my body very weary. i am not as sore now, but i am tired, and i have not slept well all week. i think the poor sleeping may be attributed to what they call "carb flu". supposedly carb flu occurs when you significantly lower your carb intake, and your body starts to detox a bit. apparently it can cause some people to feel quite ill. i don't feel sick, just tired and very low energy.
i also think there were days this week when i just plain did not eat enough. i am working on changing that. with my photography job it is sometimes hard to get time to even have a snack, let alone sit down for a real lunch. with my big breakfasts, i also don't get hungry for 5-7 hours, so i don't always eat an early enough lunch to feel like eating dinner. i will be tweaking this over the weeks to come. i had a couple days where i ate more fat than i intended. one of the things i like about this diet is that you can eat fat, but for myself i don't like to go much over 50% of my calories from fat. i exceeded that number this week. i have heard other people who eat paleo will sometimes get up to 70% of their calories from fat. this is what the doctor (on the flight back from providence) told me she does for herself. she was 56 years old, weighed 118 pounds, and had barely a wrinkle in her face.
so now you are caught up. tomorrow is Easter. may the hope found in the Resurrection of Jesus bring peace and joy to all our lives.
on thursday, i had to work my photography job again. i ate my scrambled eggs and sausage on the road at about 7 am. i got to the school i was working at, and started my day. it was a difficult day from the beginning. we were so busy i was not able to eat anything all day. we finished our day at around 4:30 pm. i was famished. i got back on the road and started eating. over the course of the next hour, i at 2 hard boiled eggs, about 3 ounces of baby carrots, an orange, some sliced cucumber and my 1 ounce of dry roasted almonds. a bit later i ate my apple. my total calories for the day totaled about 1169. my percentage of fat was 58% (77 grams) , protein totaled 21% (59.1 grams), carbs came to 22% (67.5 grams). i took in 17.3 grams of fiber. no exercise today except for an hour of setting up my photography equipment, then standing on my feet for 7 hours, then another hour of tearing down my equipment. and lifting 20 pound cases in and out of my car. oh, and i also whacked my head when i closed the tailgate. ouch.
friday, my husband and i were able to work out in the morning again. it was an arm workout day. i also was able to to 12 sit ups with the assistance of my wonderful husband. we did our walk. we have been able to shave approximately 3 minutes off our previous average walk time every day this week. for breakfast it was the sausage/egg scramble, but this time it was accompanied by a large serving of leftover cooked veggies (cauliflower, onions, peppers, broccoli), about 2 cups worth. it was all very good. i had a late lunch of a big salad topped with a chicken breast and accompanied by some yummy guacamole. i also had an orange and 2 ounces of dry roasted almonds for a snack. i wasn't very hungry when i got home, but i was very tired. i laid down on my bed and fell asleep for about an hour. then i woke up, decided i would skip dinner (which was bbq'd top sirloin steak!), watched some tv and then went back to sleep. did not sleep well again.
today (saturday) was a leg workout day. i also did my run up the stairs and through the house. we did our walk in the daylight today! i much prefer walking in the light to walking in the dark. my wonderful hubby saved me a plate from last night's dinner -- bbq'd steak and grilled veggies (onions, sweet red bell pepper, and asparagus). i ate 8 ounces of steak for breakfast. that is insane! a year ago i would never have considered eating steak for breakfast, although i know lots of other people who don't think twice about it. it was a lot -- i probably won't eat that much steak at one time again! for lunch i had a hard boiled egg and an apple. for my snack later in the day i ate 2 oz of almonds and an orange. for dinner i ate 2 chicken apple sausages. my total calories came to 1646. Total fat came to 56% (103.9 grams), total protein was 28% (113.4 grams), and carbs totaled 17% (74 grams). my total fiber intake was 18.5 grams.
so, after a full week of the whole30 challenge, this is what i think: so far the eating part of it has not been as hard as i thought it would be. there is lots of stuff we can eat. it does take more planning and prep than i thought it would. we are cooking everything at home. there are tons of dishes and pots and pans that get dirty. the good news -- i am not really craving my sweets -- yet. yes, i miss my hot cocoa and dark chocolate, but i am not climbing the walls in dire withdrawal. the extra exercise of lifting weights has made my body very weary. i am not as sore now, but i am tired, and i have not slept well all week. i think the poor sleeping may be attributed to what they call "carb flu". supposedly carb flu occurs when you significantly lower your carb intake, and your body starts to detox a bit. apparently it can cause some people to feel quite ill. i don't feel sick, just tired and very low energy.
i also think there were days this week when i just plain did not eat enough. i am working on changing that. with my photography job it is sometimes hard to get time to even have a snack, let alone sit down for a real lunch. with my big breakfasts, i also don't get hungry for 5-7 hours, so i don't always eat an early enough lunch to feel like eating dinner. i will be tweaking this over the weeks to come. i had a couple days where i ate more fat than i intended. one of the things i like about this diet is that you can eat fat, but for myself i don't like to go much over 50% of my calories from fat. i exceeded that number this week. i have heard other people who eat paleo will sometimes get up to 70% of their calories from fat. this is what the doctor (on the flight back from providence) told me she does for herself. she was 56 years old, weighed 118 pounds, and had barely a wrinkle in her face.
so now you are caught up. tomorrow is Easter. may the hope found in the Resurrection of Jesus bring peace and joy to all our lives.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Whole30, day 3 -- missing some stuff.
it is only the 3rd day of the challenge, and i am already missing some stuff. the thing i am missing the most is my hot cocoa. yes, it is a comfort thing -- rich, dark cocoa made from a homemade mix and whole milk. my mouth is watering right now just thinking about it. the richness of the chocolate and the creaminess of the milk. i have never been a tea or coffee drinker. drinking hot cocoa was my time to wake up as i savored the flavor and warmth. it was also when i took all my prescriptions and supplements. everything went down so smoothly. so, more than missing the comfort of my hot cocoa is the fact that i HATE taking my pills with water. it makes me want to gag every time. EVERY time. i am doing it, and yes, i know that pills are supposed to be taken with water anyway, but that doesn't mean it is easy for me. i guess that's why they call it a challenge, right? i am also missing my afternoon dose of 2 squares of valrohna brand dark chocolate, cheddar cheese sticks, turkey pepperoni sticks from new seasons market and BACON!!!!!
for my exercises today, i did pretty much the same arm exercises as the day before yesterday. i am alternating days for working my legs and arms. i still couldn't do sit ups by myself, but this time my husband sat on the couch in front of me, i tucked my toes under the edge of it and i grabbed his hands and pulled myself up that way. it didn't hurt my back, and i was able to do 10 in this way. he thinks that by the end of the month i will be able to do sit ups by myself. i hope so!! i did my run through the house and then it was time for our walk. this week we have consistently taken about 3 minutes off our previous walk time. my usual fast walk is my husband's slow stroll so walking this fast is a big deal for me. what am i talking about; this whole thing is a big deal for me!!!!
my calorie count for the day totaled about 1525. for breakfast i did the omelette thing again. i know it's boring, but it works well for me and satisfies my morning hunger. for lunch it was canned tuna and a big salad, with almonds and an orange for a snack. i also ate an apple as i cooked dinner. for dinner i baked a whole chicken with herbs mixed with coconut oil under the skin, mixed roasted veggies (cauliflower, broccolini, carrots, and bell peppers, mixed with seasonings and olive oil) salad and raw veggies and mashed potatoes for the kids. my total fat came to 46% of my calories (80 grams), carbs came to 23% (94.8 grams) and protein contributed 31% (118.5 grams) to my day. this is actually one of the few times my protein intake was more than my carbs -- that is the way it is supposed to be!! my fiber was also up there at 26.9 grams.
onward to day 4 -- see you tomorrow!
Monday, April 2, 2012
Whole30, day 2 -- i am sore.
today i am sore. not excruciatingly sore, but i do feel it all over. as my army national guard son says, "pain is just weakness leaving the body!" i know it just means i am using muscles that haven't been pushed in this way for a long time. i am not going to stop exercising, but i wish it could be done without pain!!
today for my exercises, i worked on my legs. i did leg lifts while laying on my back. then i laid on my belly and did leg curls with 5 lb. weights strapped to my ankles. i also laid on each side and did single leg lifts with the weights on. i also did a lot of stretching today. then it was time for my walk with my husband.
for my breakfast, i had the same as yesterday -- an omelette made with 2 eggs and one egg white mixed with homemade breakfast sausage and onions and peppers. this is a very satisfying meal and keeps me full for hours. i waited a bit too long for my lunch, not eating until about 2:30. i was really hungry. i had a can of my husband's ocean caught tuna (move over bumblebee and chicken of the sea!) and a large salad with lots of veggies. i also had an orange and one ounce of roasted and lightly salted almonds. i was hungry at dinner but wasn't able to eat at home because it was my monthly bunco night. i sliced up a red pepper and an apple and took it with me to bunco. i ate it there along with some more salad and a few sliced plain strawberries. it was all good, and i got full, but by 8 pm i was starving again. i didn't eat anything when i got home, but i am HUNGRY tonight!
my calorie count totaled 1236, with 48% coming from fat (66.8 grams), carbs coming in at 25% (82.9 grams) and protein at 28%(83.2 grams). i was able to boost my fiber to 21.5 grams, but i did not have enough protein today. the fact that i was so hungry proves that. i haven't been able to figure out how to post my fitday chart, but haven't had the time to figure it out yet.
so day 2 is done. only 28 more to go. i can do this!!
today for my exercises, i worked on my legs. i did leg lifts while laying on my back. then i laid on my belly and did leg curls with 5 lb. weights strapped to my ankles. i also laid on each side and did single leg lifts with the weights on. i also did a lot of stretching today. then it was time for my walk with my husband.
for my breakfast, i had the same as yesterday -- an omelette made with 2 eggs and one egg white mixed with homemade breakfast sausage and onions and peppers. this is a very satisfying meal and keeps me full for hours. i waited a bit too long for my lunch, not eating until about 2:30. i was really hungry. i had a can of my husband's ocean caught tuna (move over bumblebee and chicken of the sea!) and a large salad with lots of veggies. i also had an orange and one ounce of roasted and lightly salted almonds. i was hungry at dinner but wasn't able to eat at home because it was my monthly bunco night. i sliced up a red pepper and an apple and took it with me to bunco. i ate it there along with some more salad and a few sliced plain strawberries. it was all good, and i got full, but by 8 pm i was starving again. i didn't eat anything when i got home, but i am HUNGRY tonight!
my calorie count totaled 1236, with 48% coming from fat (66.8 grams), carbs coming in at 25% (82.9 grams) and protein at 28%(83.2 grams). i was able to boost my fiber to 21.5 grams, but i did not have enough protein today. the fact that i was so hungry proves that. i haven't been able to figure out how to post my fitday chart, but haven't had the time to figure it out yet.
so day 2 is done. only 28 more to go. i can do this!!
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Whole30 challenge, day 1 -- no joke!!
april fools!! not my favorite "holiday" but other people seem to have fun with it.
this was the first day of my "whole30 challenge". i got up at 6:00 am and exercised with my husband. i first did some stretching exercises, than began lifting some light weights. with a 5 lb. dumbbell in each hand, i did 3 reps of 10 bicep curls on each arm. i then did 3 reps of 10 presses over my head while holding a 20 lb. dumbbell with both hands. i then did 2 reps of 10 of holding the 5 lb. dumbbells in each hand, and while laying on my back and my arms straight out at my sides, bringing both arms together above my head. then i did some sit ups. NOT!! sit ups kicked my butt. i had to lay on the floor, my knees bent, with my toes tucked under the edge of the couch, and i still couldn't even do one sit up. i finally had to reach up and grab the backs of my legs and pull myself up. even then i could only do 8 pseudo sit ups, and i was huffing and puffing with the effort. after that i did a little run through the house -- up 9 stairs from the family room to the upstairs, through the kitchen, around the dining room table and back down the stairs to the family room. i did this 10 times. finally, i laid down on the floor on my side and did 10 one-armed push ups with each arm. all of this took about 40 minutes. now it was time for my 2.5 mile walk with my husband. i pushed myself a little harder than usual on this walk, which made my husband happy. our walk took about 40 minutes, which is about 3 minutes off our normal time. yay us!! later in the day, after my nap :o) i took a short 3 mile bike ride with my son.
shown below is my food intake for the day. for the next 30 days, i plan on keeping my calorie count at 1600 calories or less. i started out with a big breakfast of an omelette made with 2 jumbo eggs and one egg white, 1/4 cup homemade crumbled breakfast sausage, and some diced onions and bell peppers. i cooked it in a combination of ghee (clarified butter -- all the milk solids are removed so it is legal), and a little olive oil. it was yummy! for lunch i had one aidells smoked chicken and apple sausage (purchased from costco, made without sugar or preservatives -- legal!!) some sweet potato fries baked in the oven and seasoned with salt, pepper, basil and a bit of chili powder, some cut up veggies and an orange. for dinner i had 4 oz of awesome grilled flat iron steak (cooked by my hubby and it was fantastic!!) and a large apple. i truly was not hungry all day, and only ate the steak because i knew i needed more protein. my total calories was under 1400 for the day. below i posted a screen shot of my calorie count from www.fitday.com . my protein count came to 23% of my total calories, my carbs came to 28% and my fat came to 49%. i fell way below my usual intake of fiber, with taking in only 13.5 grams. i am usually able to take in a minimum of 20 - 25 grams of fiber per day. i just need to eat some more veggies! i was also low on my water intake. that has always been a struggle for me. anyway, here is my first day, such as it is. on to tomorrow!!
this was the first day of my "whole30 challenge". i got up at 6:00 am and exercised with my husband. i first did some stretching exercises, than began lifting some light weights. with a 5 lb. dumbbell in each hand, i did 3 reps of 10 bicep curls on each arm. i then did 3 reps of 10 presses over my head while holding a 20 lb. dumbbell with both hands. i then did 2 reps of 10 of holding the 5 lb. dumbbells in each hand, and while laying on my back and my arms straight out at my sides, bringing both arms together above my head. then i did some sit ups. NOT!! sit ups kicked my butt. i had to lay on the floor, my knees bent, with my toes tucked under the edge of the couch, and i still couldn't even do one sit up. i finally had to reach up and grab the backs of my legs and pull myself up. even then i could only do 8 pseudo sit ups, and i was huffing and puffing with the effort. after that i did a little run through the house -- up 9 stairs from the family room to the upstairs, through the kitchen, around the dining room table and back down the stairs to the family room. i did this 10 times. finally, i laid down on the floor on my side and did 10 one-armed push ups with each arm. all of this took about 40 minutes. now it was time for my 2.5 mile walk with my husband. i pushed myself a little harder than usual on this walk, which made my husband happy. our walk took about 40 minutes, which is about 3 minutes off our normal time. yay us!! later in the day, after my nap :o) i took a short 3 mile bike ride with my son.
shown below is my food intake for the day. for the next 30 days, i plan on keeping my calorie count at 1600 calories or less. i started out with a big breakfast of an omelette made with 2 jumbo eggs and one egg white, 1/4 cup homemade crumbled breakfast sausage, and some diced onions and bell peppers. i cooked it in a combination of ghee (clarified butter -- all the milk solids are removed so it is legal), and a little olive oil. it was yummy! for lunch i had one aidells smoked chicken and apple sausage (purchased from costco, made without sugar or preservatives -- legal!!) some sweet potato fries baked in the oven and seasoned with salt, pepper, basil and a bit of chili powder, some cut up veggies and an orange. for dinner i had 4 oz of awesome grilled flat iron steak (cooked by my hubby and it was fantastic!!) and a large apple. i truly was not hungry all day, and only ate the steak because i knew i needed more protein. my total calories was under 1400 for the day. below i posted a screen shot of my calorie count from www.fitday.com . my protein count came to 23% of my total calories, my carbs came to 28% and my fat came to 49%. i fell way below my usual intake of fiber, with taking in only 13.5 grams. i am usually able to take in a minimum of 20 - 25 grams of fiber per day. i just need to eat some more veggies! i was also low on my water intake. that has always been a struggle for me. anyway, here is my first day, such as it is. on to tomorrow!!
Eleven months later . . .
november, 2011
here i am after losing 40 lbs.!! after being the weight i was for so many years, and finding that nothing i did seemed to make a difference, losing 40 lbs. in 11 months was amazing to me. what was also amazing is the puffiness all over my body was starting to subside. my fingers were no longer sausages and my wrists reappeared as did my ankles. what was it that seemed to work? i concentrated on eating protein at every meal, plus eating more vegetables and less grain carbohydrates. i was still drinking at least one regular soda almost every day, and i was still having a glass of chocolate milk or mug of hot cocoa every day. i am one of those people who doesn't like to feel deprived!! even with the pop and hot cocoa, i had still cut my carb intake by almost half. i was keeping my calories to about 1600-1700 per day, and my husband and i had worked our way up to approximately 2.5 miles of walking at least 6 out of every 7 days per week. i was feeling pretty good and it was so nice to be able to move my body and not be so sore and tired all the time.
in march of 2011, i was flying back from visiting my daughter in rhode island, and i was seated in a row with two other ladies. i don't remember how we got on the subject, but during our conversation, i discovered one of them was a local doctor with a psychiatric practice who focused on nutrition in the treatment of her patients. we had a 6 hour flight, and my seatmate and i picked this doctor's brain. she was very accommodating, answering all our questions and giving us the names of books, authors and blogs to use as resources in our own journey toward healthier eating. when i got home, i started doing more reading!! throughout the rest of 2011, my husband and i worked on our health. i started using coconut oil in my cooking (it is also great on my skin!) and we were going through vegetables like crazy. i worked on breaking my pop habit (with little success). by june of 2011, my husband reached his goal weight and in november i achieved a total loss of 40 pounds. then, i kind of just stopped losing. what was interesting, though, was that even though the scale wasn't going down, my body composition was still changing. i can wear clothes from 10+ years ago when i was 20 lbs lighter than i am right now.
at the end of 2011, i checked a book out from the library called "wheat belly", by dr. william davis, and after reading it i really felt that the elimination of wheat from my diet would be beneficial. through january of 2012 i worked on that and succeeded in removing most wheat products from even my baking and homemade waffles. in february, i attended an event that presented me with a selection of conventionally prepared desserts. i indulged, and the combination of wheat and sugar left me feeling unwell for a week. i was truly surprised, but this experience just furthered my resolve. i was also able to finally put my soda pop habit to rest. it has been about 10 weeks since my last one. i feel very good about that accomplishment! it is huge for me -- i REALLY LOVE soda!!
in my reading throughout 2011, i kept coming across the term "paleo". it refers to the diet our supposed "paleolithic" ancestors ate. evolutionary theories aside, the diet itself made a lot of sense to me, and went along with what my husband and i were already trying to do with our own diet. in january 2012, i came across another term: the "whole30 challenge".
http://whole9life.com/2012/01/whole-30-v2012
this is an even more strict version of the paleo diet, and it is meant to be initially followed for 30 days. i began to think this was something i wanted to try. i asked my husband if he would do it with me and he said he would. we decided on a start date of april 1, 2012 (no joke! lol!!) during the month of march, i allowed myself to have some of the things i liked (like m & m's and my hot cocoa in a 16 oz mug for example) in preparation to give them up in april. now it is april 1, and the challenge has begun. no grains or seeds, no dairy, no sweetener of any kind, no beans or legumes (no peanutbutter!) no potatoes (sweet potatoes in small amounts are ok occasionally). we are focused on eating protein, veggies, good fats and a few fruits. and LOTS of water.
why am i doing this diet? number one, i want to be healthier, and my bloodwork back in august of 2011, 8 months into our journey, showed some specific improvements. my fasting blood sugar was 20 points lower than it had been previously, my cholesterol ratios were right on the money, and my liver function was slightly improved (my enzymes had always been in the normal range, but this time they were better than normal). number two, one of my greatest desires is to reduce or even eliminate some or all of my medications. i am currently taking a thyroid supplement (for hypothyroidism-- i have been taking it for about 18 years), a statin drug (i have been on this for about 15 years), a diuretic (for the beginnings of high blood pressure -- for 3 years), an actual blood pressure medication (which i let my dr. bully me into taking about 18 months ago) and a potassium supplement (to replace the potassium my body loses because of the diuretic). i feel like it is only symptoms that are being treated by these meds. i am hoping that by eating this way that the issues that are causing the symptoms will finally start to be resolved. i can't find a downside to eating a diet that has let me lose weight and improve my bloodwork by eating meat, eggs, vegetables, fruit and fat, and doesn't severely limit my calories.
i will be posting here every day of the challenge. if you want to follow along, i would appreciate your comments. thanks for reading!
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