Hiroro Seeks Redemption

[Hiroro]

The last challenge ended up being a straight up fail for me. But I'm moving on, even though I'm joining late *heh*. This year instead of setting my usual resolutions, my 2015 goal is simply to 'be joyful'...to be the kind of person who radiates energy and joy. My theme is seeking, because it is about action and doesn't require a finish line. I'll be focusing on something different each month, which I expect to help me be joyful.

 

This month I'm seeking vitality, by doing a Whole 30 (like many others, apparently). It's not my first attempt, but I intend for it to be my first success. 

 

Because my theme is so vague...pictures that make me happy!

 

 

Overarching Goal: Improve body composition (BF <25%)

 

Goal 1: Complete Whole 30 (CON-5 pts)

I've set myself up for success through this week by cooking a bunch of things on Sunday. Continuing to cook a ton on the weekend will be key to staying on track. I also splurged on a supply of bacon and meat snacks from US Wellness Meats, which look yummy (though the pork rinds are dangerous...I snarfed down the first bag too quickly, so will be more mindful of how I eat the second). Hoping that work doesn't become too hectic, resisting the free lunches is already trial enough without the stress of long hours.

 

 

Goal 2: Keep a food log (WIS-3 pts)

Since one of the main reasons I'm doing the W30 is digestive issues, keeping a log will help me identify issues. I've done it before, but slacked off (as my nutrition went downhill, unsurprisingly).

 

 

Goal 3: Use Pact to work out 3x/week (STR-3 pts, STA-1 pt, DEX-1 pt)

Going to the gym plus getting money sounds like a no-brainer. I'm going to cancel my Crossfit membership since I'm paring down the budget (looking towards February which will be a frugal challenge) and I'm too afraid of rhabdo to go. For now I want to get back to yoga, weights, and walking. No need to go crazy while my body is adjusting to the diet.

 

 

Goal 4: Read It Starts With Food (WIS-2 pts)

I own it but have yet to read it. Need to remedy this.

[Hiroro]

I started the W30 at my grandmother's, which was difficult since she didn't have much compliant food, and I didn't want to buy tons before leaving. Managed alright, except for eating stir-fried kale on Days 1 and 2 which gave me wicked stomach cramps.

 

After flying back I stocked up Saturday at Whole Foods (Allll veggies plus sugar-free bacon in my cart!). Sunday was the day of cooking. I made:

• mayo
• deviled eggs (using HB eggs from Costco)
• roasted butternut squash soup
• sauteed ground beef
• sauteed peppers and onions
• cut broccoli florets (for later roasting)
• cut cauli florets (for roasting)
• cut bacon (for roasting)

The only hiccup was the mayo, which took 4 attempts to emulsify *grrr*. But I'm enjoying deviled eggs for breakfast, especially since I added truffle salt (love all things truffle). Today I became unreasonably tired at work, right in line with the W30 timeline.

 

I'm not adhering perfectly to the meal recommendations (I don't eat veggies in the morning, and my meat-veg ratio may be a bit high), but I'm focused on fairly balanced meals. And I'm weaning myself off coffee, which is allowed on the program...but I've long suspected that it messes with my stomach, so if I want the full benefits of the diet change, this may be necessary. It won't hurt...I think. At least I'm also a fan of tea, so have a large stock of that to drink instead. 

 

It helps that my bf is farrrr away in Ohio because he does not like truffles or mushrooms or onions or tomatoes and probably would not want all of the things I cook for myself. So that's one minor perk of temporary long-distance. He'll likely be in town for work for a few weeks starting end of January, so decent timing. It's additional motivation since I know from previous failed W30's (I've made it 2-3 weeks) that I drop weight somewhat quickly in that time period. I already feel like my holiday bloat is gone, which is a good start.

[Fonzico]

Welcome back! I so love all the Whole30ing going around.

Although I don't think coffee gives me stomach issues, I'm trying to follow the recommendations to not drink it in the afternoon (zfuudrcgbi! I've succeeded so far, but it's haaaard) and to eat before coffee in the morning (this one I've merely considered, and not actually attempted)

I finally read the book the other day - went into it thinking I wouldn't learn much new information, but I was surprised. Definitely skimmed over some of the chapters, but the early ones were very interesting.

Anyhow, good luck! (Don't ya just love waving goodbye to that bloat?!)

[Hiroro]

Fonzico, since quitting after-noon coffee my quality of sleep has improved like woah.

 

Hopefully I will soon have this much energy!

 

Whole 30 Day 10 just about over, and it feels different this time. I'm not really tempted by off-plan foods (except for being tempted not to ask what's in every component of a restaurant meal), though evening of Day 8 I got sorta sad about the things I couldn't eat. I can tell from the outside of my body that the W30 is having a positive effect, but the inside of my body is still not happy. Yesterday I became intensely nauseated after a few bites of lunch (brats and veg) and gave up. This morning the nausea hit again after scrambled eggs and avocado. I couldn't even consider lunch, and went all day between breakfast and dinner with just a handful of plantain chips. Reaching the point where I'm almost avoiding food...which is crazy for someone as cooking/eating obsessed as me. 

 

I'm logging my food, but it isn't offering any clarity yet.

 

The plan forward...is to eat if/when I feel like it. And make another batch of pureed soup tomorrow, because the bnut soup was clutch tonight since I felt sort of hungry but afraid to eat. I did get a few bites of head cheese for protein. One day at a time.

 

Also, I should have mentioned that if my Fitbit logs 10,000 steps for the day that counts as a workout in Pact. So I've succeeded for my first week without going to the gym. I'll probably gradually increase my pledged days since it's a combo of 10,000-step days and gym days. But for now I'm okay with taking it easy, since I walk a lot at work and my body is clearly still adjusting to this way of eating. Starting to wonder if my body really wants 2 meals/day, brunch and dinner.

[Fonzico]

I hate trying to navigate restaurants on W30! I mostly just avoid the situation entirely, other than sashimi which you can't go wrong with!

That is the pits about the nausea and appetite loss though... I hope you get it figured out soon! I've been having trouble eating enough too, although I don't think I have it as bad as you. But I know how it goes, you put off eating because you can't stomach the thought, which just make it even harder when you finally have to force yourself because you KNOW you have to eat... I agree, it's a very strange change coming from a place of food obsession.

[Xena]

Hope your body settles into the routine soon. It sounded like you did a great job getting yourself set up with the shopping and batch cooking.

 

I know it's not remotely the same thing, but I have a challenge this time around to run outside every day in January. I know the goal is different, but it sounds like the timing is that same, so at least I know where you are with it. Congratulations on getting 1/3 through! It sounds like you are in a rough patch, but I really hope it smooths out this week.

[Hiroro]

Hi Xena! I really appreciate how supportive you are, especially/even though I'm not always great about reciprocating

Running every day is an awesome challenge, I'll definitely find your thread to see how it goes. Your posts always get me itching to run, though I'm focusing on losing weight first to try to ease the PF. And after your message I've been *trying* to take my probiotic more often...since I haven't been feeling well that's definitely a motivator.

[Hiroro]

Week 1 Wrap-up

It feels like the first week has gone by so fast, and as usual started off fairly well. Despite the digestive troubles, I'm still solidly on track to complete the W30. 

 

 

Goal 1: W30 - Yup

Cruising along, not really tempted by off-plan food. I will admit I accidentally had a taste of honey the other day. Was making tea for my sick housemate and tasted it for sweetness level without thinking. But I figure I only ingested trace amounts and it was an accident, so I'm not starting over. 

I'm somewhat ignoring the meal guidelines, leaning more towards an intuitive approach. I typically skip vegetables in the morning, since they've given me stomach trouble in the past and I don't want to chance missing a whole day of work. Slowly cutting out coffee (most days this week I did 1 cup/day instead of two).

 

Goal 2: Food log - Yupyup

Also not a problem. though in the past I've lapsed on logging when my eating goes crazy. So don't foresee issues through the W30, and after I expect the reintroduction process to keep me taking notes. I try to note when I feel sick and symptoms, so hopefully that will help me identify issues.

 

Goal 3: Pact - Yupyupyup

Since all of my days that counted this week were 10,000 step days and I didn't step foot in the gym (except to quit Crossfit today, no regrets at all--I need to build basic strength first because I don't have the self-restraint to do Crossfit without overdoing it). So I'm upping my Pact to 4 days for next week. Plan is to increase days until I end up with a mix of 10,000-step days and gym days. Time to put all that protein I'm ingesting to good use.

 

 

Week 2 Prep

I've realized that not only does doing all my food prep on weekends help me eat healthy, it also keeps me from wasting food. Typically I'll end up putting off cooking things during the week because the prep-cook-clean process sounds like too much work, but now the most I have to do is pop something in the oven or microwave. Today I completed the following:

• Acorn squash-carrot curry soup (Sort of made it up as I went along, came out so good!)
• Cut cauliflower and canadian bacon for mid-week roasting
• Crab cakes
• Roasted pork belly (currently in the oven making my kitchen smell awesome)
• Deviled eggs
• Roasted mushrooms

Also have a couple bags of the trimmed green beans from Trader Joe's, will either microwave them in the bag or roast with olive oil and almond slices. Meant to buy cabbage to saute and forgot  but I have a few bags of Steamfresh veggies in case I run out of vegetables mid-week. I purposefully make less meat/protein than I expect to need because Wednesday is steak night in our house; I buy steaks at Costco and season them, my housemate grills them. 2 steaks for me is 3-4 meals.

 

All the prep is certainly arduous, but it is so satisfying to see the fridge full of ready-to-eat or ready-to-cook food. Maybe it is over-optimism, but I could see myself continuing to cook like this after the W30 is over. I'm already planning my meals for Week 3.

[Fonzico]

How did the pork belly turn out? It always wanted to try making it! Your food prep sounds awesome in general.

How is week two going so far?

[Xena]

Hi Xena! I really appreciate how supportive you are, especially/even though I'm not always great about reciprocating

Running every day is an awesome challenge, I'll definitely find your thread to see how it goes. Your posts always get me itching to run, though I'm focusing on losing weight first to try to ease the PF. And after your message I've been *trying* to take my probiotic more often...since I haven't been feeling well that's definitely a motivator.

 

Thanks! I really like reading your thread (my thread has enough traffic these days, so please don't feel bad!!). You often have very cute pictures and I love reading about the great food you buy and make. It doesn't sound like running is the right thing for you right now. Do your steps and work back into a gym routine. Maybe more "300" workouts :-)

[Hiroro]

The pork belly was amazing, as always Though I don't think i'll use that prep method again (on a wire rack) because the cleanup was annoying. Simple five spice and salt seasoning was perfect.

 

This week my food prep was a little...weak...because my boyfriend was coming into town Sunday and I was worried about cooking too many things he wouldn't eat. Also, I spent a fair amount of my weekend energy making two batches of ice cream and one batch of cookies because I'm a little nuts. Not really tempted to eat it, though it was mildly annoying not being able to lick/taste this and that. 

 

Goal 1: W30

Still going strong, not having trouble with wanting to eat things that aren't 'allowed' at all. Though yesterday we ate Mediterranean and I ordered a plate thinking I could just eat the meat and salad. Well, the salad dressing had enough tiny bits of cheese to make it impossible to avoid, and the meat was served on rice. So I was a little grumpy picking my chicken out of the rice, but it was yummy with the side of tahini sauce. On the way home I found a recipe for chicken shawarma and tahini sauce, so I can make it at home without unwanted sides!

 

Goal 2: Food log

I got a little lax about this, and by the time I caught up I couldn't remember what I ate for a meal. But my digestion seems to be improving, which is very encouraging after a somewhat stomach-challenging two weeks.

 

Goal 3: Pact

Just barely made my steps last Sunday to complete the 4-day goal. Still have the 4-day goal this week. I went to the gym once last week and forgot to 'check in' with Pact. Today I didn't work out (did make my 10,000 steps!) but when I got home in a bad mood, I vented with a few pushups, leg lifts/circles, punches, and yoga poses. 

 

Goal 4: Read It Starts With Food

Started the book. Currently 4 chapters in. Not gripped, but trudging on. It makes good bedtime reading because I'm not sucked in like I am with a novel.

 

By the way, I finally finished the afghan I started when I moved to Cali ~6 months ago (didn't work on it continuously). I gave it to my bf for Christmas and he loves it, I'll try to post a picture soon.

 

Summary

I'm not very present here on the boards this challenge, since between work and my bf's visit for the next month I'm fairly busy. Next challenge I'll try to focus more on this community, but right now the bf is front and center. I'm doing unusually well on my goals, though my post frequency is low. I really could see myself doing weekly food prep indefinitely, and eating in more in general. This week I get my first CSA here (Californiaaa woohoo), can't wait!

[Hiroro]

That's me standing behind the blanket. It's perfect for a Queen size bed.

 

Week 3 Day 4

Brought home my first California CSA today! Annnd forgot to take a picture. My side of the fridge was pretty packed, so I took out some of the bf's beer to make space. That's right, I replaced his beer with my veggies buahahah.

 

Today was stressful because of work/coworker (my own fault but still pretty sucky). Piled on top of digestive problems. Sad to feel not well today 3 weeks into the W30. Dealing by coming home early-ish to a book and herbal tea.

 

I'm getting into It Starts With Food, and was rather pleased to find that my W30 daily routine is closer to the 'healthy' example than the 'typical unhealthy' example, down to the tea and reading I was doing before bed.

 

Not looking forward to the weekend because I have to work, but at least the bf is here. Hopefully I'll still find time for a major food prep session, especially since I have all this fabulous fresh produce.

[Sloth the Enduring]

[That's right, I replaced his beer with my veggies buahahah.

That's just plain mean.

[Hiroro]

@Slothlike: I did leave him a couple bottles, didn't replace it ALL...but most  . Also, hiiiii...will now scurry over to your thread to catch up. Or just read the last page and pretend I read it all 

[Fonzico]

The afghan is AMAZING, wow, great job! It looks so legit. 

 

Enjoy those veggies! Ahhh fresh produce... Everything around here is a storage veggie or from very far away. So you'd better appreciate the crap out them for me. 

[Hiroro]

Week 3 Wrapup

I can't believe it's already 3 weeks into the challenge. Halfway through, and going strong.

 

Goal #1 W30

Cruising along. It's likely going to be more challenging this week because I've been working so much that I didn't have a chance to do my weekly pre-cook. But my bf had creamy pasta for dinner, and I wasn't tempted at all...just kind of sad that he's not really into W30-style eating. He's a huge fan of meat but veggies notsomuch. As someone who prides myself on cooking capabilities, it's upsetting that my dishes don't appeal to him. I need to work on eating more veg and not just meat, but the intense influx of produce thanks to my CSA should pretty much force that deal if I don't want to waste food.

 

Goal #2 Food log

Still logging. This past week has been a bit discouraging because my digestive issues resurfaced, but it's likely due to a combination of work stress, not drinking enough water, and not eating enough vegetables. All related to the intensity at work.

 

Goal #3 Pact

Since work is busy, I hit 4 days easily just with walking at work. Upping it to 5 days next week. I realized today that the gym also serves as a good escape when I want to be home. Sharing a house is starting to wear on me, I'm too spoiled by having my own space. Plus I've never lived with someone compulsively clean (wouldn't have moved in together if I'd known...shame on me for not asking). I come home from work exhausted but can't fully relax except when I'm alone in the house. Perhaps it's just extreme introverted-ness coming into play.

 

Goal #4 ISWF

Halfway done with the book, and the end is just recipes and references so probably really more than halfway. I'm through the densest part, and I sort of skim the recommended foods part because it's nothing new, and I don't really need to be convinced at this point.

 

Hopefully in a few weeks work will ease up and I can work on finding a sustainably balanced way of eating. The work stress plus home stress is not helping with my 2015 goal to be joyful. But having the bf here does make me realize how much more joyful I feel when he's around--I laugh ~%1000 percent more. (Obviously not an accurate number, but not exaggerated at all).

[Fonzico]

Even good roommates are kind of the pits. There's nothing that makes me more uncomfortable than someone cleaning up around me, so I have to join in! That doesn't sounds restful at all. :/ I'm sorry! How much longer is your stint in Cali?

 

I'm kind of in the same boat with my SO... he'll generally eat what I make, but when it's up to him, it's not so healthy. But, like yours, he makes me ridiculously happy, so no big deal! 

 

I hope your digestive/stress issues resolve sooner than later. Take care of yourself!

[Hiroro]

Thanks Fonzico, I'll be here for about another year, then back to Ohio.

 

Annnnd done with the Whole30! It's my first after trying and failing several times, and the meal prep plus knowing how many people around NF are doing it too is what got me through it.

 

My stomach is still...iffy. It's funny, I want to do reintroduction right so I'm actually not rushing into anything...reintroduction takes more planning than eating the way I have been! Because I don't just want to eat a whole loaf of bread with butter (like I dreamt last night) and call that my gluten reintroduction. What with work being so intense (starting yesterday the company is restricting us to 12 hrs/day and at least one day off per weekend, which is an improvement) I may actually wait to add dairy-grains-gluten (don't really care about soy or legumes, since I don't see myself eating a lot of them anyhow.

 

However, I do plan on having wine tonight...I've built up a stash over the last couple months since finding out I now like reds (so I can finally share with bf), and I'll use the Venturi (aerator) my dad gave me for Christmas. 

 

I also finished ISWF, skipping the recipes at the end. I skimmed the later part of the book because the 'what you should eat' part is fairly redundant with what's on the website. 

 

So despite being inactive around here, I'm kind of killing my goals more than ever.

 

Goal #1: W30

DONE

 

Goal #2: Food log

Ongoing...I may be forgetting to log snacks. But capture pretty much everything. It'll be more key during reintroduction.

 

Goal #3: Pact

I'm at 4 days/week, and haven't 'failed' a week yet. But now my app is malfunctioning, so hopefully that doesn't mess me up.

 

Goal #4: Read ISWF

DONE

 

 

Clearly all I need to do to succeed in challenges is make half my goals ones that can be completed in the first 3-4 weeks. Next two weeks are going to involve some mindful off-roading, a few gym visits, and brainstorming goals for next challenge...involving more exercise. I know it's terrible, but a major excuse for avoiding the gym lately is the crowdedness of January.

 

Also, when work slows down in a few weeks that will give me more time for exercise. For now I'm in work-eat-sleep-cook mode.

 

BTW, I weighed in at 149.7lb this morning! Lowest since I don't even know. BF 32.7% down from 35ish.

 

Plus, my jeans fit better and even my khakis (previously tight) are now loose...single digit sizes, here I come!

[Fonzico]

Congratulations on finishing Whole30! So proud

Good luck with the reintroductions... Haha and yes, a whole loaf of bread and butter, despite occasionally sounding like a good idea, never is. [emoji14]

Nice job breaking the 150 barrier also! I'm right on your heels!

[Hiroro]

Post W30 Thoughts

So...my reintroduction may be bumpier than expected. At work they've been bringing in catered lunches on weekends because of the long hours, and all of January it was fairly easy to abstain because it was 'not allowed'. Of course the catered lunch always has gluten and/or dairy, so it wasn't even an option. Today they have chicken cordon bleu, which sounds a heck of a lot better than my turkey jerky and cabbage...gah. 

 

If I partake today, then I'd plan to spend the next couple days back on plan to get it out of my system. But...is it worth it? Dairy and gluten...I think I'm mostly tempted because my digestive system STILL isn't working quite right, and I'm getting frustrated. I keep thinking that of course eating like this is better for my overall health, but I was really hoping it would 'cure' my IBS. ISWF does note that people with IBS/IBD may need more time...so...patience.

 

I have noticed that when I slack on the veggies my system doesn't handle meals as well. But often lately I'll start eating and be hit by nausea/lack of appetite. Sometimes I forge on, sometimes I skip a meal...just not sure where to go from here. If I decide based on how I feel I might only eat once or twice a day, and skip the vegetables. I know I need them, but some meals I can only get protein down. 

 

Sorry for the whine, I'm still happy with my results. Significant loss in weight, BF, pants size, and my skin is clearer...awesome outward improvement. But I'm not sure my energy levels and how I feel has really improved. All of the fabulous W30 success stories may have given me overblown expectations. It's possible that because my workload has increased over the course of the W30 that it's stress-related. And need-more-exercise related. 

 

Since I'm doing monthly goals this year, and my January W30 goal is complete, it's time to come up with a February goal/habit. Debating between something workout-related or meditation.

[Fonzico]

That' such a tough position to be in, where you feel like you're doing everything right and it's just not quite working. I'm not a professional and so I hesitate to give advice about a medical condition, but giving Whole30 a little more time can't do any harm. Although I don't suffer from IBS, I know the feeling of not being able to stomach particular food groups, and forcing yourself to eat things you don't want to isn't a great long term way to have a relationship with food. 

Am I understanding correctly that eating more veggies makes you feel better, but you have no appetite to do so? I'm guessing this isn't one of those cases where you simply haven't tried them prepared in enough different ways... Are there any that you enjoy eating on at least a semi-regular basis? If so, maybe go for quantity over variety for a bit.

 

You've already tried probiotics and fermented veggies, right? 

 

Ugh, how frustrating! I'm sorry... I really hope you figure it out..

[Hiroro]

Eating veggies makes my digestion...uh...work better. But I still get nausea/loss of appetite/stomach cramping when I eat them vs other things. Starchy things seem to sit better. I take a probiotic sporadically, but need to get better about that. Thanks for being my cheering section 

 

I'll be straight up and say I ate ALL the non-paleo things this weekend...and I don't even really regret it. I caught myself in the negative 'why are you such a failure' thought pattern, and realized I don't need to classify my eating as 'on the wagon' vs 'off the wagon', it's just various degrees of nourishment for my body. And I actually FEEL okay, aside from getting really sleepy in the middle of the Superbowl (ahem...alcohol). I also read an article today that argued it isn't healthiest to eat as much meat as the Paleo diet suggests, which makes me think it might be interesting to experiment with protein to veg ratios. Less meat would be less expensive, though I definitely enjoy it. 

 

Because I only had one day off this weekend, I used it all to grocery shop, GO TO THE GYM, clean and do chores, and participate in Superbowl watching. That's right, I went to the gym. Even did a real workout:

#20lb dumbells, 5 rounds (for 300 reps)

10 chest presses

10 squats of some kind (mostly goblet with one weight)

20 rows (10 each side)

10 deadlifts

plank w/10 leg lifts

 

Documenting here so I can brag about progress later 

Hoping after maybe one or two more rough weeks at work my schedule will ease up so I can get into a better shopping-cooking-eating rhythm. Despite being unmarried with no kids, working a 70+ hr week makes me feel like I have no personal time.

[Xena]

Yay gym!