Vian - No More Excuses

[Vian]

Starting this late, but I don't want to wait for the next challenge to get started.

 

I was doing really well for a long time. I lost 50 pounds, but I still have another 30-40 to go to reach my goal weight. I've been busy with school, I got really sick a few times, but now I'm better, and finished with school, so it's time to get my ass in gear and get these last pounds off while I look for a job this summer. 

 

The Plan

 

Diet - Paleo

          I'd like to do a whole30 and get off dairy and sugar, my two nemesis. I actually tolerate dairy pretty well, but I'd like to see if I could feel even better being off it.

 

Stamina - 2

Constitution - 2

Wisdom - 1

 

Workout - Beginner Bodyweight, DDR, Turbofire

          I can't afford Crossfit right now (totally rejoining as soon as I get a job though), but I don't need a gym to get fit, right? Right! At least 6 days a week, I will rotate one of the above for at least 30 minutes each morning.

 

Strength - 3

Dexterity - 2

 

Life - Job search, cleaning appartment, finishing remodel

         I have to find a job this summer, so I will submit at least 3, but up to as many as I can find, job applications each week.

         I'm also really sick of my appartment being a mess because I haven't had time to clean it due to school and clinicals. So I will spend one day each week tackling a different area of the house to get it cleaned up.

         Lastly, I have a few unfinished remodeling projects around here. I need to caulk some tile around the kitchen sink and replace the faucet, put up some molding in the bathroom and caulk some areas, repair a hole in one wall in the living room and sand down a few spots, then repaint the whole thing. Once the place is clean, I will tackle these projects.

 

Stamina - 2

Wisdom - 2

Charisma - 1

 

[lysdexic]

Good luck!

 

Just started the Whole30 this week (day 4 today).  It's been quite a change, but seems doable with a clear plan.  Each night we prep the food for the next day and we have the next couple of days planned out to make sure we have the groceries.

[Vian]

Alright, first day of whole30. I took all my measurements, weighed myself, and took some before pictures which I won't post until I have after pictures. I won't even look at them myself. No weighing or measuring for the next 30 days! Woot!

 

Starting weight: 216lbs.

Neck: 14.5"

Bust: 43.5"

Natural waist: 35"

Low waist (even with navel): 42"

Hips: 45"

L Thigh: 26"

R Thigh: 26"

L Calf: 15 5/8"

R Calf: 15 3/4"

L Bicept: 12 3/8"

R Bicept: 12 3/8"

 

I also did as much of the beginner bodyweight circuit as I could...which was one time through...then I collapsed on the floor...

 

Breakfast: 4 eggs and swiss chard and onions fried in beef tallow

 

Lunch: salad with chicken, olives, and cucumber with a home-made balsamic vinaigrette

 

Dinner: Chicken salad with chicken, apples, celery, walnuts, and golden raisins dressed in home-made mayo.

[Vian]

Oh man, yesterday was miserable. The caffeine withdraws almost did me in! I know coffee is technically allowed on whole30, but I can't drink mine without heavy cream in it - coconut milk just doesn't do it for me. I went and laid down at 6pm because my head hurt so bad and I fell asleep until 9, got up and shut off all the lights and went back to bed until 11, then woke up again because the headache was just too awful, so I got some ibuprofen and sat up in bed until it kicked in, then went back to sleep again. This morning I feel ok, a bit groggy and heavy feeling, but my head is still intact.

 

Today I'm heading to the farmer's market to stock up on veggies for the week!

[Tia Elle]

You can do it Vain! I went off caffeine a year ago and the withdrawal was so bad I've been too terrified to drink it again LOL. Your meals sound delicious, you're off to a good start!

[Vian]

Feeling even better today! I slept too much lastnight, so i was a little slow getting going this morning.

 

Yesterday I ate:

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs scrambled with shitake mushrooms, green onions, bell pepper, topped with 2 whole fried eggs with runny yolkes. A handfull of blueberries.

 

Lunch: Leftover chicken salad. Had some celery sticks with almond butter and a few golden raisins as a snack...I think I need to eat more at each meal.

 

Dinner: cabbage "Spaghetti" and meat sauce (basically browned ground beef, thinly sliced onions and cabbage wilted down into some store bought tomato sauce, I made sure it didn't have any added sugar or yucky stuff in it!) with a piece of watermellon for desert.

[The Borg Queen]

From one amazon to another, hello!

 

Your eating yesterday looks great. I like the idea of cabbage "spagetti," will have to try that one.

[Vian]

Thanks! I actually like it alot better than regular spaghetti (I was really never much of a pasta nut before I went paleo). Though I do miss putting cheese on top of it!

 

This was dinner tonight...

[Vian]

So far today I still have that low grade headache and general malaise, though it's very mild. Getting lots of cravings between meals and I think I'm hungry, or might actually be hungry, but at least it's not that "OMG I'M HUNGRY NAO!!!" like when I get a blood sugar crash. It's a gradual climbing hunger.

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs scrambled in ghee with sauteed shiitake mushrooms, bell pepper, scallion and wilted spinach, topped with mashed avocado and two more eggs fried over medium. Also had a rather tart, out-of-season peach.

 

Lunch: More of the soup from yesterday

 

Dinner: Pan-seared chicken breast with sweet potato pancakes (shredded sweet potato and onions mixed with egg, pan-fried) and some roasted asparagus with lemon. Handful of bing cherries for "desert"

[The Borg Queen]

So far today I still have that low grade headache and general malaise, though it's very mild. Getting lots of cravings between meals and I think I'm hungry, or might actually be hungry, but at least it's not that "OMG I'M HUNGRY NAO!!!" like when I get a blood sugar crash. It's a gradual climbing hunger.

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs scrambled in ghee with sauteed shiitake mushrooms, bell pepper, scallion and wilted spinach, topped with mashed avocado and two more eggs fried over medium. Also had a rather tart, out-of-season peach.

 

Lunch: More of the soup from yesterday

 

Dinner: Pan-seared chicken breast with sweet potato pancakes (shredded sweet potato and onions mixed with egg, pan-fried) and some roasted asparagus with lemon. Handful of bing cherries for "desert"

 

I love your food lists so far. It seems like you have a really well rounded paleo diet, with A LOT of delicious vegetables! The soup pictured above looks fantastic. What is in it?

 

When you're hungry in between meals, do you snack? I allow myself snacks, but I find the longer I do paleo the less snacky I am.

 

It seems like your food goal is going great. How are your other goals going?

[Vian]

Click on the picture and it will take you to the recipe forum where I posted the recipe

 

I try not to snack. I drink water and see if I'm really hungry. If it's just very mild hunger, I ignore it, especially if it's almost meal time anyway. I do think I need to eat more at lunch though.

 

I haven't really started on my other goals yet I've been feeling so low energy from the shift in diet that I just haven't been motivated to work out or clean. I think i will definately work on the kitchen this morning though.

[lilbichy]

Have you tried eating vegetables with high carbs to give you some energy?  i eat sweet potatoes in the morning and they seem to help a lot.  Have the headaches stopped?

[Vian]

No, still having headaches, but I'm really becoming convinced that it is eye-strain related from staring at the computer too much, possibly exacerbated by being hungry at times. I tried eating some sweet potato with breakfast (and had more with lunch) and I had the motivation to clean my whole kitchen (still working on it, it was seriously a mess, but almost done.)

[The Borg Queen]

Are you new to the paleo diet? Honestly, it looks like you are eating like a paleo vet. Maybe you are just naturally a great chef.

 

If you are new to the paleo diet, some people get this thing called the "low carb flu." I got it really bad when I started paleo. If this is what you have, the remedy is to increase your salt intake. Salty bone broth works really well. Maybe try it? At worst, you wont feel better but you'll have more bone broth in your life. Heh heh heh.

 

I agree with the carb thing. Even though it looks like you are getting a lot of high quality carbs, it might help you to increase a little bit... just for the first couple of weeks. You can always cut the carbs to lose weight once you have established some equlibrium.

[Vian]

I went paleo at the beginning of the year for 2 months until I got sick and then went back to school. I kept trying to go back to paleo, but I was eating way too much sugar and my friend kept convincing me to have mexican food >.<

 

I know it is carb flu, but I am trying to get my body to adjust to a lower carb diet, so I will just tough it out.

[Vian]

My workout today was cleaning out the pond. Trust me, it was definitely a work out.

 

breakfast was the usual, lunch was leftover hash, and for dinner I had a grilled burger with delicious guac on top with a side of roasted baby carrots (real baby carrots, not the ones that are just grown-up carrots shaved down) and sauteed zucchini and summer squash.

[Vian]

Did the beginner bodyweight workout this morning, or at least as much of it as I could : /

 

Had the same thing for breakfast (easier for me to just have the same thing every day unless I outright am craving something different...for instance I might make some home made breakfast sausage this weekend...)

 

Lunch was leftovers

 

Dinner I made a fantastic stirfry with eye of round steak, shaved carrots, broccoli, sugar snap peas and green onions. The sauce was about 1/2 cup of beef bone broth with about 1/4 c. water, 2 rounded teaspoons arrowroot powder, about 1 tsp. red boat fish sauce, and about 2 tbs. coconut aminos, with a pinch of himalayan rock salt. Sauteed the meat and veggies in coconut oil, then drizzled with sesame oil after I served it up.

[lilbichy]

your foods sound delish!  i wish you could come cook for me!  LOL 

keep up the good work!  hows the headaches?

[Vian]

Headaches are gone! and yesterday I had the first taste of the energy that Whole30 promises. Still not jumping out of bed full of energy in the morning, but I wake up pretty quick and even worked out this morning. Played DDR for about 40 minutes, then made breakfast, couple eggs fried with bell peppers and onions and mushrooms with 4 ounces of my home made breakfast sausage.

 

Also put in a job application!

[Vian]

I went to the farmer's market today to stock up on veggies for the week. The egg guy wasn't there today! I was so sad! I buy a dozen pastured soy-free, corn-free organic eggs from him every week, but he wasn't there today ;-; I miss them already!

 

Also went to costco with mom to stock up on chicken, inferior eggs and kerrygold butter. My dad met us there with my sister and they all had lunch while I sat there hungry. But I didn't succumb! We went home and I had my leftovers.

 

Meal 1: 2 (inferior) eggs scrambled with mushroom, green onion and bell pepper with 4 ounces of my home-made breakfast sausage

 

Meal 2: Leftover stirfry with a small peach and a small scoop of almond butter

 

Meal 3: Roasted chicken marinated in onions, garlic, (compliant) mustard, fresh thyme, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, with roasted carrots, sweet potatoes and cauliflower and steamed asparagus.

[Vian]

Day 10 (June 30th)

 

Feeling pretty good. Went to church this morning and my pastor went long so I was starving when I got home. Spent the rest of the day just trying to stay cool, it was 95 degrees yesterday! Last week it was 60 and raining, so quite a sudden shift!

 

Meal 1: I decided I wasn't getting enough veggies with breakfast, so I tried browning up some of my home made sausage in some ghee, then tossing in a whole grated zucchini with some diced bell pepper and onion and getting it all softened, then I scrambled in two eggs. It turned out really good!

 

Meal 2: Lefftover chicken, roasted veggies and asaragus, 1 small peach.

 

Meal 3: More leftover chicken on top a caesar salad. I made my own dressing and left out the parmesan cheese (and I missed it, but it was still good). and threw in some olives and a hard boiled egg too.

[Vian]

Day 11 (7-1)

Another day of just trying to stay cool! It's sooo hot out today, so i didn't really get anything done. But I did play some DDR and did some squats and pushups

 

Meal 1: Zucchini and sausage scramble

 

Meal 2: caesar salad

 

Meal 3: Taco salad with ground beef and lots of peppers and onions and some compliant salsa ontop lettuce with some guacamole. handful of cherries.

[Vian]

Day 12

 

Played DDR until I was dripping sweat, and put in a job app

 

Meal 1: zucchini egg and sausage scramble

 

Meal 2: taco meat in lettuce "tacos" with guacamole. small peach

 

Meal 3: pot roast with carrots, onions, and cabbage

[Vian]

Day 13

 

Did two rounds of the beginner bodyweight circuit. I reduced the squats and lunges to 10x per round. 

 

Meal 1: zucchini egg sausage scramble

 

Meal 2: leftover potroast

 

Meal 3: grilled chicken with roasted asparagus and mashed sweet potato (made with ghee and coconut milk) and a small peach cut up and drizzled with coconut milk.