Day 90

I can hardly believe it.

The difference is nothing short of astounding. My energy level is fantastic, and steady throughout the whole day. I'm in a GREAT mood, and I sleep better than I have in 15 years. It's truly life changing, just for those factors!!!

...but just like a game show winner...THAT'S NOT ALL, FOLKS...!

The weight loss! Oh my goodness ! I'm 10 inches down on my waist size - down 4 pant sizes!!!

My weight loss has been nothing short of dramatic. In April of 2013 I was 440lbs. I'm not sure exactly what I weighed on September 2nd when I started my Whole 30, but on October 2nd I was finally light enough for my scale to read me at 404.4lbs. Today I am 380.4, down exactly 24 measurable pounds in two months! That's 59.6 lbs down from my high point!!!

More importantly, my Heath is dramatically better. I'm well on my path to becoming more Fit, and I can feel myself becoming Stronger.

I still have a VERY long path in front of me, but for the first time in DECADES I feel like food cravings aren't the bane of my existence, and I feel positive about my success, as if I'm finally in charge of my own destiny.

It's nothing short of astounding, and I'm still wrapping my head around the realization that food no longer rules my life.

I could weep with gratitude ... but I'm too busy jumping for joy!!!

Bittersweet

Over the Thanksgiving break I was fortunate enough to get some wrenching time on my '74 Spider.

I was able to wrap up the loose ends associated with the head gasket swap I did earlier this past summer, and although I hit a snag or two, I got everything together & functional.

The car runs MUCH better, though still quite rough. I did not set the timing, clean the carbs, no idle adjustments, no tune up components swapped. It ran better, certainly good enough to get 'er over to the storage unit. So, I left all the final troubleshooting & tuneup stuff for the spring.

I filled both Spider's gas tanks & added Stabil, and then tucked them away under cover.

Can't wait for Spring...

Recommissioning

I have a few old pieces of Land's End luggage my Mom got me back in the 80's.

It's holding up pretty well, but a few items need some attention. A zipper pull here, a missing handle there, maybe a loose seam or two.

I'm hoping Land's End can help me out with some repairs, maybe even add some monograms to the two earlier canvas pieces that missed out, back in '82...

Embracing my weaknesses

They say 'Never start a diet during the Holidays', and I'm pretty sure that's because even our Caveman ancestors took a break from Paleo on Thanksgiving.  I mean, who wouldn't???

Personally, I'm dreaming of my Mom's oyster stuffing. Mmmmmm..... 

However, my newfound path started way back in early September, right after Labor Day weekend, and I never considered the Holidays for even a moment.  It was still Summer!  I never expected success, and certainly not at the level I've had for the last 87 days.  

...and I'm not about to give in, just three days short of my big NINE ZERO!!!  In fact, I'm planning on going 33 more days, to hit Day #120 on my birthday.  THAT will be a day to celebrate, and I'm not about to let Thanksgiving derail my plans.

So - I'm celebrating Thanksgiving the best way I can imagine right now.  I am so astounded & Thankful for my success, I'm going to eat & exercise in the absolute best way I can today!

Each meal will be 100% Whole 30 compliant, and for each meal I will brave the frigid cold to do at least a half mile walk.  I will not skimp on my serving sizes & be hungry on Thanksgiving, I will be eating healthfully, and getting some mileage in.

That's what I'm most Thankful for this Thanksgiving, is my newfound Health & Fitness, and my surprising dedication to it.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Week Eleven

Things continue to go very well!

Day #75 snuck past me over the weekend, I was cruising so well and so smoothly with my success that I didn't even notice it!

Over the weekend there was Mexican Braised Beef done in the crock pot, spaghetti squash with yummy meat sauce, and a double batch of breakfast frittata muffins for my work week.

I've ordered new shoes, pants, and dress shirts so that my clothes fit appropriately. THAT is a nice problem to have! (Who thought that feet would loose weight???)

All in all, I feel great, and I couldn't be happier with how things are going. I'm planning to ignore Thanksgiving & cruise with great success right through Christmas to Day #120, on my birthday!

Week Ten

I continue to eat "on-plan", and I'm still totally lovin' it! My energy is fantastic, my sleep is great, and my size continues to shrink.

13.2 lbs lost in 5 weeks, which averages out to 2.64 lbs per week!

My right knee hasn't been hurting, so I've been hitting Aqua Fit a steady 3 times per week, with decent walks on non-swim days. I can feel myself able & wanting to do a little more each week.

Friday will be my "Whole 75", and I'm still planning on cruisin' through the Holidays on this plan, although I'd better start planning some contingencies around family food-centric gatherings ;-)

Day 60

I wasn't sure that I could do the Whole 30, but I just cruised into day SIXTY!

Yes, I dramatically changed the way I eat, and the sugar hangover was tough - but for more than six weeks now, I'm just eating stuff I like! THAT ROCKS!

I've been pretty good about hitting Aqua Fit 3 times per week, and I can feel a tremendous difference in what I can do during class. I need to add more walking, but I was afraid of hurting my knees. I had knee pain until recently, but now it's time to, literally, step that up!

For the past month I've been able to something silly, but I've made it sort of a routine: when I go up the stairs in my house, I RUN!

I RUN STAIRS! DAILY!!!

I just feel so good & energetic! I'm down almost 4 pant sizes, and I've had to add six holes to my belt, and I no longer need my Jeep's stupid seat belt extender, and I sleep like a log - all of this is GREAT, but it's my energy level that feels so positive & rock steady!

So, yes, it's Day 60 - and I'm gonna keep rolling!

I figure I'm 'halfway' to a Whole 120, which would end on my Birthday, just in time for New Year's.

Wouldn't that be a GREAT way to ring in the New Year?!?!

Week Eight

I have been able to measure myself on my home scale for exactly 3 weeks now, and in that time I'm down more than 11 pounds.

Eleven pounds in three weeks!

Also during that time, my knee pain has almost vanished, my energy level & sleep have continued to be fantastic, and my performance at Aqua Fit feels like it's doubled.

I. FEEL. GREAT.

I cannot stress that enough! It's not a super-happy-giddy feeling, it's the simple joy of multiple bad inputs being removed.

Like my Dad used to say, 'it feels so good when you stop beating your head against the wall'.

I hit my 60 day mark on Friday, and I have ZERO intention of stopping! I'm gonna surf this wave in all the way to the beach.

Week Seven

In the three weeks since I completed my Whole 30, I'm down 6.4 lbs. That's 2.13 lbs lost each week - a wonderfully perfect rate of weight loss!

I'm out of available belt holes, after adding 3 new ones at my W30 completion.

This is a good problem to have :)

My right knee isn't hardly hurting at all! I'm continuing to eat 'on plan', and my energy level & sleep continue to be fantastic!

Just nine days to go, until I hit my Whole 60!

Week Six

Whole 45 complete! Going for 60!

...and damn, but it's going well!

Most notably, between last week and this week, my scale can now measure my fatness, now that I've lost a bit! That's roughly 4lbs down last week! That's actually too much, but as long as I'm eating correctly, and doing reasonable exercise, I'm not going to get wound up over it. I know that sooner or later I'll hit a plateau, and at that point I'll mix up what I'm doing. In the meantime - WINNING!!!

The weekly breakfast prep REALLY helps, as does the daily salad bar at work. Aqua Fit is awesome, and as long as I don't walk too much & I ice my knee, the pain is hardly noticeable!

Staying the course, heading towards a Whole 60 ... and if it keeps going so well, I see no need to stop!!!

Week Five

As you can see from my belt - I'm down roughly 6 inches in my waist - which is THREE pant sizes!

As of Tuesday of this week, my weight is down enough to actually register on my scale! Now I can REALLY begin to gauge my weight loss trajectory!

I'm continuing to push my boundaries for W30 'compliance' with homemade salad dressing, eating fresh fish when eating out, adding spinach & sauerkraut to my weekday breakfasts, and vastly improved breakfast meats.

My missing link continues to be my workouts. I've had to back off the walking & ice the knee, but my attendance at Aqua Fit still isn't enough either. It's just too hard to leave the office early.

However, all in all, I could not be more thrilled! I'm eating well, sleeping better, and feeling fantastic. Downsizing my pants & shirts is great, and punching new belt-holes is an awesome problem to have!

Thoughts at Day 30

The Fantastic

Prep work in the beginning & each Sunday made everything else…possible.  This was the lynch-pin of my success!

Once past the "Sugar Crash Hangries", my hunger pangs were…almost pleasant-ish!

-In fact, this feels like my absolute BIGGEST win!  Feeling the correct 'hungry signals' for the 1^st time in 20+ years was weird, and not having to be fearful of the old "Sugar Crash Hangries" feels like a new & unexpected freedom.  Seriously.  Amazing.

By focusing on what I wanted to eat, the cravings simply got crowded out

This gave me ZERO food stress – I never felt deprived, never felt the 'old' type of "loose-my-shit-hungry"

The "Kill All The Things" phase wasn't REALLY too bad. 

Pants that were previously too tight, are now a bit loose

 

NOW.  SLEEP.  LIKE.  THE.  DEAD.  !!!!

 

Energy is rock solid throughout the day

Constant headache during Week One, turned into ZERO daily headaches since! (There was one-ish, but easily resolved)

Brain fog cleared

At the end of week one, no more mid morning snacks; by end of week four, no more 'need' for mid afternoon snacks.  This feels like a HUGE win!

I was able to do this during an incredibly stressful work month.

 

The Good

Daily food logs went well

Tapered off Paleo Packs & RxBars

Organic Veg Box ROCKS!  (Need to be better about logging on during the weekend to modify it)

Veg Box reduced need for multiple grocery store runs – big win!

Eczema & Psoriasis seem … not as bad, but certainly not 'cured'

Had an A-Fib scare in Week One, but have felt fantastic since, with lower & lower resting pulse rates each successive week

Tapered off of nuts & olives, white potatoes & bananas to bring calorie counts down a bit

 

 

The Bad

Need more sleep, in particular, an earlier bedtime

Need to drink more water, less tea, less caffeine in afternoon

Need to bring own salad dressing "just to be sure"

Need more fermented veggies (need guts to try the Kimchi I bought)(pun intended)

(Eventually) avoided fruit as a sugar substitute

First two weeks I was too dependent on Paleo Packs & RxBars, but weaned off them

Veggie spiralizer got used ONCE.  After that, veggies were just diced & cooked, low-maintenance style

Wanted to do all 30 days w/out a single restaurant, failed at that on DAY FOUR – but remained fully complaint eating out all month

I was shocked at the volume of dishes & kitchen clean up (DUH)

 

The Ugly

Did not cook a single "recipe"

Gym time, and daily walks were poorly attended

Daily work salad's Grilled Chicken may be processed

Did not swap to fully compliant bacon & sausage until Week Two

 

Goals

Seamlessly continue into a W60

Push for absolute 100% compliance (bacon, sausage, salad dressing, butter)

Push for 3 straight meals each day – with no snacks.

Earlier dinner

Earlier bedtime (need 9 hours!)

Push to learn recipes, do crock pot meals, and breakfast muffins (as I promised myself in August)

Push to a solid 3 workouts per week

Non-gym days need adequate movement (aiming for 10k steps)

Day 29: Re- cap

Breakfast: 3 HB eggs, 3 sausage patties with Cholulla, sauerkraut, green tea

Lunch: bed of spinach, bell peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, grilled chicken, balsamic vinaigrette

Snack: Apple, banana, iced green tea

Dinner: grilled salmon, broccoli, sweet potato

Notes: the good mood, good sleep, and rock steady energy are now almost so normal as to be unremarkable ;-)

Day 28: Re-cap

Breakfast: hamburger patty with grilled red bell pepper, brown mustard, & sauerkraut

Lunch: bed of spinach, bell peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, grilled chicken, balsamic vinaigrette

Snack: iced green tea, apple, banana

Dinner: bed of spinach, sweet potato, chicken breast, bacon, fried egg, tomatoes, Cholulla

Notes: still feeling darned good! Positive attitude, good energy throughout the day, sleeping very soundly, enjoying what I'm eating, although I miss Pizza, bread, and french fries..

Day 27: Re-cap

Sunday was just as good as Saturday!

Sat Breakfast: bed of spinach, bacon, fried eggs, fresh sliced tomatoes, salsa and Black Tea

Sun Brekkies: two hamburger patties covered in salsa

Sat Lunch: two hamburger patties & salsa

Sun Lunch: bed of spinach, two burger patties, fried eggs, sliced tomatoes, sauerkraut

Sat dinner: bed of spinach, two burger patties, fried eggs, sliced tomatoes, sauerkraut, chollula & salsa

Sunday dinner: hamburger patties w/ salsa, sweet potato, Zuchini, and green beans

Notes: it was a great weekend w/ no snacks! Feeling VERY good

Day 26: Re-cap

Saturday

Day 25: Re-cap

Breakfast: 3 HB eggs, 3 sausages, salsa, green tea

Lunch: spinach broccoli bell peppers cucumber grilled chicken balsamic vinaigrette

Snack: green tea & apple

Dinner: two hamburger buns w/ spicy salsa

Late snack: Bacon!!!

Day 24: Re-cap

Breakfast: 3 HB eggs, 3 small sausages, fresh salsa, green tea

Lunch: bed of spinach with cucumbers, bell peppers , broccoli, grilled chicken, balsamic vinaigrette

Snack - Apple, Banana, green iced tea

Pre Workout - Texas brisket on Spinach

Late Dinner - fried zuchini w/ spicy meat sauce

Day 23: Re-cap

Breakfast: 2 HB eggs, 3 small sausages, homemade salsa, water, green tea

Lunch: Argentinean roast beef w/ roasted potatoes & mixed veggies

Snack: Primal Pac & Apple

Dinner: bed of spinach, large chicken breast, Hatch Chili from Paleo To Go

Notes: Feeling great! Knee not too bad today!

Day 22: Re-cap

Breakfast: 2 hb eggs, 3 small sausage patties, all w/ homemade salsa. Green tea.

Lunch: bed of spinach w/ bell peppers, cucumber, broccoli, grilled chicken, balsamic vinaigrette

Snack: Primal Pac & Apple

Dinner: salmon & broccoli

Day 21: THREE WEEKS!!!

Breakfast: 2 HB eggs, 3 small sausage patties, fresh salsa, green tea

Lunch: salad of spinach, bell peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, grilled chicken, and balsamic vinaigrette

Snack: Paleo Pac

Pre Workout: Half chicken breast w/ salsa

Post Workout: Other half of chicken breast, more of that excellent fresh salsa!

Dinner: steak & sweet potato

Notes: went to Monday night Aqua Fit, MUCH harder than the Saturday class!!! I'd like to hit the Wednesday class for an even three workouts a week, but it's tough to leave work early. Got independent verification that I'm sleeping better ("I thought you were dead, you slept so soundly without even moving"). I feel great, and if my right knee will just get with the program, I could really pump up my mileage & bring on some serious weight loss! In the meantime, I'm feeling great, looking to try some new recipes, and I'm succeeding at Aqua Fit. WINNING!!!

Day 20: Re-cap

Breakfast: (late) bed of spinach, fried eggs, sauerkraut, sausage

Snack: Pear

Dinner: salmon & broccoli, not pictured was the appetizer of french onion soup w/ no bread or cheese - just the broth

Day 19

Day 18

Day 17: Re-cap

Breakfast: two HB eggs, two sausage patties, fresh salsa & green tea

Lunch: salad of spinach with bell peppers, broccoli, cucumbers, grilled chicken & balsamic vinaigrette

3pm Snack - Paleo Pac

6pm Late Snack - Bacon!!!

8pm Dinner - sweet potato with chicken, bacon, guac & salsa

Day 16: re-cap

Breakfast: two HB eggs w/ two sausage patties & salsa, with green tea

Lunch: salad of spinach, bell peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, grilled chicken & balsamic vinaigrette

Snack: Paleo Pac

Dinner: filet of Bison, coffee rubbed, with roasted veggies

Day 15: Re-cap

Breakfast: two sausage patties, two HB eggs, green tea

Lunch: salad w/ bed of spinach, grilled chicken, cucumbers, broccoli, bell peppers, and balsamic vinaigrette

Snack - apple, orange, Primal Pac

Dinner - bone-in pork chop w/ grilled yellow squash & zuchinni, and grilled green heirloom tomatoes

Dessert - A treat for being halfway through my W30! Grilled peaches w/ a light dusting of cinnamon. Better than peach cobbler!

Notes: I'm halfway, and I feel GREAT!

Thermometer of Success

Food: Good
Exercise: Need More!

Halfway!

I have to say, I'm shocked at how well this is going! I've never felt 'hungry', deprived, or stressed about my food. In Week One I had cravings out the wazoo, but nothing mind bending, except my success & this odd feeling of...happiness.

With that being said, there are things I can tweak, change, and execute MUCH better! I'd really like to tighten up my final two weeks:

The daily 3pm sugar crave! I've been eating a Primal Pac & RxBar (which, together, are 700 calories!), and an Apple. My body is craving sugar, and I think I need to starve that bitch out! I'm now going to bring a daily protein to eat at that time, have my Apple before lunch, and save the Primal Pac & RxBar in my briefcase for emergencies.

I need to stop having double-dinners. I'm hungry when I get home from work at 6pm, so I'll have a 'heavy snack', and then a 'real dinner' around 7:30 or 8pm. I need to not eat so late, and I need to eat just once in the evening. The protein at 4pm may help, and I might try to push lunch later, too.

I need to follow through on my commitment to try two new recipes a week! I need to finish this W30 with half a dozen go-to recipes.

Prep, prep, and more prep! Having 'leftover' stuff in the fridge to easily combine & heat has been a magnificent success. Need more of that!

Exercise has been lackluster. My right knee has been hurting, so I'm reluctant to do too much walking, and the Aqua Fit classes can be tough to get to on-time during the week. Recommitting to three gym visits, at least two of which are Aqua Fit.

Day 14: Re-cap

Breakfast: sausage patty, half a chicken breast, two HB eggs, green tea

Lunch: roast beef with mixed grilled veggies & iced tea

Snack: Primal Pac, RxBar, Apples

Post Workout: Chicken breast & HB egg

Dinner: Outback - Ahi Tuna appetizer (no sauce!), grilled Salmon, broccoli

Day 13: Re-cap

Breakfast: Last of the 'leftover stew' (chicken, bell peppers, carrots, parsnips, bacon, marinara) and my new bacon from US Wellness Meats (which changed my life!)

Lunch: Sweet potato on a bed of spinach, with chicken breast, sauerkraut, & salsa w/ crushed red peppers.

Dinner: Chipotle salad bowl - lettuce, carnitas, salsa, and guacamole.

Notes: feeling good! Very positive! The gut is still learning to process the new way of eating (is that the nice way of saying it?), but the probiotic supplement & fermented veggies will help, too.

Day 12: Re-cap

Breakfast: two bowls of leftovers mixed with marinara sauce. Mix included chicken, bell peppers, parsnips, carrots, and bacon. Also had two HB eggs.

Lunch: hamburger patty, two HB eggs, cucumbers, tomatoes, peaches, grapes, honeydew, cantaloupe.

Snack: Primal Pac & mix of almonds & cashews

Dinner: grilled chicken & bell peppers with avocado, salsa, and crushed red pepper flakes.

Notes: Aqua Fit class left me wrung-out & dead. 'Might' need to eat a little something beforehand, next time. Right knee has been in pain, trying to moderate between staying active & not hurting it too much. Worried.

Day 11: Re-cap

Breakfast: 3 hardboiled eggs

Lunch: Spinach greens, bell peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, grilled chicken, balsamic vinaigrette

Dinner: Chipotle salad bowl w/ lettuce, carnitas, hot & mild salsas, and guac

Long, busy, stressful day as I finished new software roll-out at work. I may have had a Primal Pac & Rx Bar, can't remember :(

Day 10: Re-cap

Breakfast: leftover steak w/ salsa & hardboiled eggs

Lunch: spinach greens with bell peppers, grilled chicken, broccoli, cucumbers & balsamic vinaigrette

Snack: Paleo Pac & Apple

Late snack: Tuna salad w/ celery sticks

Dinner: sweet potato with chicken, guac & salsa

Day 9: Re-cap

Breakfast: two hardboiled eggs, two sausage patties, with homemade salsa

Lunch: spinach greens with grilled chicken, bell peppers, broccoli, cucumbers, and balsamic vinaigrette

Work Snack: Primal Pac, Apple, iced green tea

After school snack: sweet potato with ground pork & homemade salsa

Dinner: chicken breast with guac & salsa

Notes: I feel good, but in a rotten mood after a tough day at the office (first day of Remedy change system)

Day 8: Re-cap

Breakfast: two hardboiled eggs with two sausage patties, with Chollula & salsa.

Lunch: spinach greens with bell peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, grilled chicken, and peas with balsamic vinaigrette

Work snack: Primal Pac & two Apples

After school snack: sweet potato with ground pork & salsa (YUM!)

Dinner: grilled salmon, steamed broccoli

Notes: I feel GREAT!

Thoughts

Yesterday was a yummy day! I'm feeling very 'whole food nourished', and most amazingly, I now have TOTALLY different hunger pangs! I used to get twitchy with headaches & really bad moods. Now I realize that was a Sugar Fit, and now I can get a tummy so grumbly I get burps, but no headache, grumpy, or twitchiness! These 'new' hunger pangs almost feel 'good' to have, and I know I'm eating right when they get serious before my next meal. Satiety and Satiation are two very different things, and both can be VERY tough to distinguish from Sugar induced cravings. I feel like I'm in Sugar Rehab, and I'm starting to be able to see the other side. It's like a glimpse of freedom, and I want it more than ever.

Week One Thermometer of Success

Food intake was on track, despite a few challenges.

Exercise output was 2 out of 3, but considering it was my first week back in the gym, it wasn't too bad. I also need to pick up the work-walks & dog-walks.

Day 7: Re-cap

Breakfast: Two hardboiled eggs, two sausage patties, salsa, and green tea

Lunch: Spinach greens with bell peppers, cucumbers, hardboiled eggs, turkey, and Balsamic Vinaigrette

Snacsk: Chicken breast w/ guacamole & salsa, Paleo Pac, two apples

Dinner: grilled parsnips & carrotts, with skewers of chicken & bell peppers. Dessert was grilled pears with cinnamon dusting.

Notes: I feel good, though a bit tired. No headache. Slightly short tempered, but good mood overall.

Week One

Holy Crap - I'm on the verge of finishing an ENTIRE week of Whole 30! 25% done!

Wow...

What a difference! I feel clear-headed & energy balanced. I can feel a difference in my sleep quality. And I really LIKE what I'm eating!

Has it been easy? NO! I spent most of last week with a headache & grumpy. Most of the weekend I felt like I needed a nap. On Friday when I spilled my Paleo Pac in my Jeep, I nearly lost my mind! Grocery shopping has become a new, expensive, obsessive hobby. Cooking never ends, and if I have to clean my kitchen & run the dishwasher ONE more time, I might scream!

But I like this. I like the W30 support. It's been good to get back into the gym.

I can't wait to see how I feel next Monday, at my halfway point...

Day 6: Update

Breakfast: scrambled eggs with bacon & white potato hash browns. Hot Green Tea.

Lunch: Grilled burger with guacamole & salsa, with brown mustard. Hibiscus iced tea.

Snack: Tuna salad (using homemade mayo!), with mustard & bacon bits, celery sticks to eat it with. Iced tea.

Dinner: Ribeye steak, grilled brussels sprouts, steamed broccoli, and steamed cauliflower.

Dessert: grilled peaches w/ dusting of cinnamon

Day 5: Update

Breakfast: scrambled eggs with ground pork, and hashbrowns from red skinned potatoes. Sauerkraut on the side, hot Green Tea.

Lunch: chicken salad made from grilled chicken & homemade mayo, served in an avocado boat with bacon. Iced Hibiscus Tea.

Snack: grilled burger with bacon bits, guacamole, salsa, and brown mustard.

Snack two: RxBar

Dinner: grilled Salmon w/ steamed broccoli

Notes: This was Saturday, had my first Aqua Fit class in the morning, went well. Dinner was at Outback Steakhouse.

Day Four: Update

Breakfast: 3 hardboiled eggs, 4 sausage links w/ Chollula, and hot Green Tea.

Lunch: leftover meaty spaghetti sauce over two sausage patties, with two hardboiled eggs & iced green tea.

Snack One: (mostly spilled on car floor) Primal Pac & Apple

Snack Two: RxBar

Dinner (not pictured): ate out at The Red Ox in Hampshire, had Shrimp Cocktail (no sauce), Filet Mignon, assorted steamed veggies, dinner salad with oil & vinegar, one baked white potato with Aus Jus. Several iced teas.

Notes: big interview Friday afternoon, very hangry in car on way home, spilled Primal Pac, managed to stay the course & remain On Plan!

Nearly lost my shit

I had a FOUR hour job interview today, and when I was getting into my car I was hungry & headachy, and my hands were shaky, and I freakin' DROPPED my Primal Pac & the contents dumped on the yucky floor of my Jeep.

Ugh!!!

I pulled into a Starbucks & got an iced Green Tea & an Apple, which was good, even if I was still being a bit stompy-stompy.

Day 3: Re-cap

Breakfast: 3 strips of leftover ribeye steak with salsa, two hardboiled eggs, green veggie juice

Mid morning: Apple

Lunch: salad of spinach greens with grilled chicken, cucumbers, bell peppers, hardboiled eggs, broccoli, and balsamic vinagrette. Plain iced tea.

Afternoon snack: Almonds, two apples, iced green tea.

Dinner: awesome combination of zucchini noodles (yay Spiralizer!), and meaty spaghetti sauce made from grass fed ground beef & marinara sauce w/ no gluten or added sugar. Crushed red pepper gave it some zip!

Notes: headache continues, grumpy but not TOO bad, still sore from Tuesday's stupid workout. Spiralizer is great, takes a bit to get used to the 'touch' to get it consistent, shocking how many Zuch's it takes to make a 'serving of pasta' (4!).

Inspiration & support

Every morning of my Whole 30, I start my day with a lovely email that gives me inspiration & support. They know what I'm feeling (literally) as I go through this process, and I don't feel so 'alone' or crazy. It's awesome.

And, yes, I've had a headache for two days, and I'm irritable. VERY. MUCH. SO.

But this too, shall pass...

Day Two: Re-cap

Breakfast: Two Eggs, three sausage links w/ Cholula, green veggie juice, Green tea

Lunch: Salad w/ spinach greens, grilled chicken, red & green peppers, cucumbers, broccoli & balsamic vinaigrette

Snack: Primal Pac, Apple, Green Tea, mixed cashews & almonds

Pre workout: Three thick slices of ribeye steak w/ salsa & Hibiscus iced tea

Dinner: Leftover grilled chicken w/ salsa & one bratwurst

Notes: I was supposed to do my first Aqua Fit class, but found my swim trunks to be missing. After fighting the Day Two headache all day, I lost my shit & had a terrible stompy-stompy fit. Took the dog on a walk instead, and shocked myself by snacking on-plan. Stompy fit seemed to cure the headache, although I was in a foul mood the rest of the night.

Day One: Re-cap

Breakfast: Hardboiled egg, two sausage links (gluten & sugar free), homemade salsa, green cold-pressed veggie juice.

Mid Morning (not pictured): green tea, black coffee, large apple

Lunch: salad of spinach greens, hardboiled eggs, grilled chicken, cucumbers, peppers, broccoli, w/ balsamic vinaigrette (no added sugar), and plain iced tea.

Mid afternoon: three bottles of water, a primal pack, and another large apple. Not pictured - large iced green tea.

After school snack: grilled bratwurst (gluten & sugar free), w/ homemade salsa & iced hibiscus & ginger green tea.

Dinner (late): grilled chicken marinated in EVOO & lemon juice, served w/ sliced avocado & salsa, grilled green tomatoes.

TV snack (not pictured): small banana & water

Workout: upper body weights, shoulders, back, tri's, bi's & chest.

Other notes: slight headache, no mid afternoon energy slump. Breakfast needs another egg & sausage link. Did not do office walk or dog walk - knees sore from weekend & knew it was first day @ gym since 2009 - being cautious!

All in all = Day One was a resounding success!

Onward...

W30 - Day 1 @ Gym

First time in the gym since 2009. You'll notice in the bottom left picture, those were my old '09 numbers. Today I started with uppers, and I started at my old weights, and the reps & sets came in just about the same!

I'm SURE I'll be feeling that in the morning, but it'll be a 'good kind of pain'.

My TV snack was a banana, for the potassium, and before bed I made sure to stretch-out pretty well.

Day One = Success!

Onward...

We manage what me measure

I love that old truth that we manage what we measure!

Goals are good, too, and I've outlined a few...

So far, Meal One of Day One has gone well! 90 meals to go...

W30 - Day Zero

Prep, prep, read some more, then continue prepping!

Really, I think the prep work never ends. For me, Sundays groove best. I'll shop with a list, and prep my week, as an old habit.

This week I added some additional food prep, sorted out some kitchen tools, and totally re-organized my pantry.

'Bad' items have been excised, and I've got on-plan choices prepped & ready to go.

Will it work?

I'm pushing hard for it. In fact, tomorrow is also my first day back in the gym.

I'll keep posting my daily successes, frustrations, failures, and victories.