Benefits Noticed

This week, I started to notice that I no longer have “a case of the Monday’s”. I thought about why this may be, and I think it’s a relationship between diet and my mindset, rather than any environmental changes. To explain, ever find yourself in a loop where you can’t wait to get to the weekend, and Monday morning is dreaded? Did part of what you looked forward to on the weekend involve food, or drinks? Me too.

Regardless of reasons why you (or I) couldn’t wait for the weekend, “treats” were linked to it. Can’t wait for the weekend because I’ve been good all week and I “deserve” a treat. Well, this became an interconnected loop without me realizing it. I believe that indulgence in alcohol, sugar, processed food/ fried food in a condensed period like a weekend was impacting my sleep, and my energy levels.

Now that I’m focusing on the Whole 30 and am motivated by these food choices, quality sleep, and exercise, I look forward to the weekends for different reasons. The weekend allows a chance for food prep and planning, more quality sleep, bonus exercise, and more family fun. Since I have been feeling so much better during the program, I now look forward to waking up Monday and accepting the challenges and blessings of a new week.

Challenges this week

No major challenges noted this week. I really wanted a cold Bai drink (with artificial sweetener) after my round of golf Friday, but I was able to choose a seltzer. I made some iced green tea as well, to satisfy the want for a nice iced drink on a hot day.

Tip of the Week

My tip of the week is to inventory any foods that you may tend to overeat, even if they are healthy foods. I’m realizing that mixed nuts are in this category for me, so I’m reclassifying them as a treat, rather than a daily staple.

Let’s talk about it

Video summary of the blog post and week 3.

Meals

Sunday

Morning: Coffee, water, seltzer

Around 12 noon: omelet with tomatoes,avocado,sides, green powder, smoked salmon

Around 5 pm: Bowl of spicy Coleslaw with cabbage, carrot, onion, pickle, garlic, dressing with avocado mayo, apple cider vinegar, chili powder, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper; 3 handfuls of mixed nuts, 2 spoons nut butter.

Monday

Morning: Coffee, water, green tea

Around 12 noon: Salad with Spicy Coleslaw (see Sunday), lettuce, tomato, olives, avocado, pickles, sardines, greens powder, dressed with olive oil, salt and pepper; 2 spoons of nut butter; seaweed snack

Around 5 pm: 4 pickles, 3 beef sticks, 3 handfuls of almonds, 2 spoons nut butter

Tuesday

Morning: Coffee, water, green tea

Around 10:30 am: Rebel Keto drink (compliant with Whole 30); cup of coffee

Around 3 pm: Salad with Spicy Coleslaw (see Sunday), lettuce, tomato, olives, Smoked Herring, greens powder, pumpkin seeds dressed with olive oil, salt and pepper; 2 spoons of nut butter; a handful of almonds, 2 beef sticks

Wednesday

Morning: Coffee, water, green tea

24 hour fast, due to annual check up

Around 5 pm: Creamy Taco soup with mixed peppers, onion, garlic, ground beef, fresh cilantro, beef bone broth, coconut milk, spices, topped with avocado; salad with lettuce, picked, greens powder, olives, green powder, dressed with olive oil, salt and pepper; 2 spoons nut butter, 2 handfuls of almonds

Thursday

Morning: Coffee, water, green tea

Around 1:30 pm: Bowl of Creamy Taco Soup with a spoon of avocado mayo; 4 pickles; 3 handfuls of almonds; 2 spoons nut butter

Friday

Morning: Coffee, water, green tea

Around 2 PM: Bowl of Creamy Taco soup with an avocado; bowl of sauerkraut with green powder, 2 handfuls of almonds, seaweed snacks

Around 6 PM: Herbal tea.

Saturday

Morning: Coffee, water, green tea

Around 1 pm: Salad with Cucumbers, olives, tomatoes, garlic, greens powder, dressed with Oliver Oil, Salt and Pepper; 4 strips of bacon, 1 handful of almonds, 1 handful of pumpkin seeds

Later meal TBA

Favorite Meal of the Week

Favorite meal of the week was this salad pictured below, ordered out at lunch. It was my favorite because I was able to make some slight adjustments while ordering and make it Whole 30 compliant, you can still go out on the Whole 30!

Exercise

Sunday

Lawn mowing: 2.5 miles, about an hour total

Monday

Morning stretch and roll, about 50 minutes of walking

Tuesday

Morning stretch and roll

Deadlifts: Work sets- 205×5, 225×5, 255×2,2,2,1, 205×5; Ab roll wheel, 6 sets of 6-8 reps, hangs from pull up bar

Wednesday

Morning stretch and roll

Total Gym row and curl combo, 4 sets of 10; Double Kettlebell push press- 35 lbs, 10,10,9,10; Pull up- 4,5,5,5; Push up- 10,10,9,12

Thursday

Morning stretch and roll, about 50 minutes of walking

Friday

Morning stretch and roll, 4.9 mile run, around 55 minutes total. Interestingly, I ran the exact same route as last week, with slightly different results. I had to take a walk break at the top of the hill at the end of my run, and I did not last week. All of my exercise numbers have been improving throughout the Whole 30, until this morning. Noting this change, which is not an improvement, I had to ask some questions as to why:

• Am I dehydrated? No, same fluids routine as previous weeks.
• Did I sleep well? Not 8 hours straight, I woke up once in the middle of the night.
• Am I over training? I do not believe so, but I did add some volume to deadlifts this week.
• Did I eat a junky meal or go out drinking the night before? NO!
• Was the humidity different? Maybe, I did not check.

Reflecting through this as I write, overall there was not much difference in the overall run as compared to last week, it was really just the hill kicking my butt. However, the exercise of journaling this out was very helpful, because there have been times where eating junk or drinking the night before has impacted my energy or my workout.

My other “exercise”, 9 holes of golf, walking! I have not played actual golf since 2016, before my son was born. My shot of the day was hitting the green on a 225 yard par 3, made par! Please note, made par indicates my score for one hole, not the round…😄

Saturday

Mowed the lawn, about 2.5 miles total, about an hour time; weed whacking/edge trimming, around 30 minutes total time

My compliance grade

100%! Still not feeling any major temptations, cravings, etc. Feeling very confident about week 4!

Looking ahead to Next Week

Next week, we are having a family Beach weekend at Cape Cod! We found a nice condo where it is easy to socially distance. I am going to do some planning for myself to make sure I bring some compliant food with me, and know what kind of food I can order out while still being on my plan. This is going to be a great test and affirmation, a healthy vacation!

Week 2 is in the Books!

Benefits noticed

This week started with a major benefit Sunday morning (and Friday morning), 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep! I have been trying to focus on sleep lately, and this was the first night in a long time of 8 hours uninterrupted. Our son is currently not a factor of sleep interruption, but I found myself waking up at least once per night for a long time. Sleep is low hanging fruit when it comes to health benefits, so I certainly plan to keep an eye on this one during the program.

Another benefit is my energy was easily 2x what I felt last week. This could be a combination of detoxing from no grain/sugar/alcohol for a longer period of time, improved sleep, better nutrition, or combination of the above/other factors. My run Friday morning felt so much better and I did not take a walk break, even chugging the gradual incline at the end! I did not hammer the intensity of my weight lifting, but lifts seemed to go up easier and I added volume.

Tip of the Week

My tip for the week is be mindful of how benefits are interrelated and can build off of each other. My example is my diet is cleaner, my sleep is improving, and I’m having more energy. More energy leads to better quality exercise, more productivity at work, more focus on family fun. Thinking in reverse, if you neglect your sleep, your energy will be lower, less quality exercise, and you’ll be more likely to crave junk and start snacking… food for thought.

Let’s Talk About It [Video]

Challenges this week

I did not experience any environmental challenges or food cravings this week, and I learned very well from slight challenges in food prep last week. As I continue the whole 30, I am looking forward to challenges of things like beach days, where typically some non-compliant food and drink is part of the experience. For now, I will continue to embrace the compliance and success!

Meals

Sunday

Morning: Coffee, Water, Green Tea

Around 11 am: Bowl of Coleslaw with cabbage, carrot, onion, garlic, bacon, dressing with avocado mayo, apple cider vinegar, mustard powder, salt and pepper; a bowl of sauerkraut with green powder and pumpkin seed; a few handfuls of mixed nuts

Around 5 pm: Roasted salmon with avocado and cherry tomato, side of Brussels sprouts with bacon.

Monday

Morning: Coffee, Water, Green Tea

Around 12 noon: Coleslaw (leftover) with cherry tomatoes and a fried egg, sauerkraut with green powder and pumpkin seeds, sea weed snack, 2 spoons nut butter.

Around 4:30 pm: 1 can smoked Herring (around 3 oz.), seaweed snack

Tuesday

Morning: Coffee, Water, Green Tea

Around 11 am: Meal size salad with lettuce, cherry tomato, olives, pickles, sardines, dressed with olive oil, salt and pepper; bowl of soup with onion, pepper, cauliflower rice, carrot, celery, diced tomato cilantro, in chicken bone broth.

Around 4:30 pm: 3 Handfuls of mixed nuts, 1 handful of Almonds.

Wednesday

Morning: Coffee, Water, Green Tea

Around 12 noon: Meal size salad with lettuce, cherry tomato, onions olives, pickles, smoked herring, dressed with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Around 4:30 pm: bowl of soup with onion, pepper, cauliflower rice, carrot, celery, diced tomato cilantro, in chicken bone broth; seaweed snack

Thursday

Morning: Coffee, Water, Green Tea

Around 12:30 pm: bowl of soup with onion, pepper, cauliflower rice, carrot, celery, diced tomato cilantro, in chicken bone broth; 3 handfuls of Almonds, 2 spoons of nut butter.

Canned salmon with olive oil, salt and pepper, chopped garlic; seaweed snack, 2 grass fed beef sticks

Friday

Morning: Coffee, Water, Green Tea

(Spontaneous 24 hour fast)

Around 5 PM: 2 egg omelet with onion, tomatoes, avocado, sides of cherry tomatoes (marinated with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper), olives, avocado, 3 handfuls of mixed nuts.

Saturday

Morning: Coffee, water, seltzer

Around 12 noon: Salad with steak, tomato, avocado, lettuce, hard boiled egg.

Around 5 PM: Dinner TBA.

Favorite Meal of Week 2

Coleslaw! Featuring green cabbage, carrot, scallions, garlic, red onion, bacon, and dressing made with avocado mayo, apple cider vinegar, mustard powder, salt and pepper. 100% compliant and delicious!

Overall I incorporated some different foods, meals, and food combinations this week. I have noticed that I tend to go to nuts frequently as an add on; I am not sure if this is good or bad, but for me nuts are easy to overeat. As an experiment during this process, I am not going to purchase any more nuts once I run out of the stock in my pantry…I estimate I will have at least a week or 2 on my Whole 30 to report about with no nut consumption.

Exercise

Sunday

Bobby Maximus “death by pushups”, I made it to minute 8 before flaming out, but finished the 20 minutes doing the reps I could at the top of each minute.

Monday

Morning stretch and foam roll, around a 50 minute walk.

Tuesday

Morning stretch and roll

Deadlifts: Work sets- 205×5, 225 x 5,5,4,4,2; ab wheel roller, 6 sets of 6-8 reps; hangs off pull up bar

Wednesday

Morning stretch and roll

Kettlebell pushpress: 35 lbs-10, 10, 8…53 lbs- 3, 3; Total Gym row and curl combo: 5 sets of 10 each; Push ups: 10,10,10, 9; Pull ups: 3,4,4,4

Thursday

Morning stretch and foam roll, around a 50 minute walk.

Friday

Morning stretch and roll, 4.9 mile run (around the same route as last week), no break stops or walks! 55 minutes total. Of note, felt much better this week, nice steady pace.

Saturday

The sun and sand 🙂 Active rest.

Compliance Grade

Drum roll please…I give myself 100% Whole 30 compliance for week 2! I built off the positive momentum from week 1, and made sure I had compliant bacon for any foods that was incorporated in to. I have heard there is a “10 day blues” for Whole 30, I personally have not experienced any of that, and my resolve is strong for 100% compliance for each of the remaining weeks (taking 1 week at a time).

Looking Ahead to Next Week

Next week, I’m excited to continue the positive momentum and look for new benefits. I’m taking a day off of work and planning to play golf for the first time since my son was born. I welcome the shift of having these type of experiences without linking them to unhealthy “treats” or alcohol, which will be a theme as I close out the Whole 30 on Cape Cod the first weekend in August. See you next week!

Week 1 is in the Books!

Benefits Noted This Week

Noticed a boost in energy for sure, and my coffee/tea intake stayed level. I also felt better digestion overall this week; logically I am going to assume this is due to the elimination of dairy and/or legumes because this was the biggest area for elimination. It could also be some food combination which was not working as well, and I will certainly keep an eye on it.

Lets Talk About It-Quick Summary [Video]

What Went Well

Due to my preparation, the switch of mindset was relatively smooth. I was able to focus on my job, exercise, family time, and blog post notes during the week, and did not let food or snacking take up any mental space. I believe I set myself to feel like I am doing this program for the right reasons; I want to do it, and I am not “missing out” on anything by doing it. In fact, I am adding to and enhancing my health, which feels great!

My take away/tip from this experience is, get yourself in a frame of mind in which you feel like you’d be missing out if you DO NOT do this program. That will set you up to be more successful and limit the feelings that you are missing out on food, snacks, drinks.

What Was Challenging

The only noteworthy challenge was meal prep and planning. Having the staple meal of a nice hearty soup was very helpful, but with this not being ready until Monday evening, I needed to pinch Monday together on the fly. To address this challenge, I want to try and have the staple meal prepared Sunday evening, and map out some Whole 30 compliant meals I can go to if life happens and plans need to change.

Of note, meal prep and planning is a lot easier for me during week 1, because I am working from home. It is possible that within the coming weeks, I will need to address the challenge of commuting to work/working onsite.

Meals This Week

A note on my meals and structure, I have been experimenting with intermittent fasting recently. Basically, this means rather than eating more frequent, small meals during a day, I tend to eat larger meals less frequently. I did not see the need to change this up for the Whole 30, so long as the food is compliant.

When you see “green powder” listed as part of my meals, I have consistently used a green powder almost daily in place of a multi-vitamin. The idea is that this product helps you assure that you are consuming a daily allotment of vitamins and minerals, from dried fruits and vegetables rather than a tablet. This is not a necessary part of the Whole 30, but it is compliant and it works for me.

Monday:

Morning: Water, Coffee, Ginger Tea (Coffee upon wake up, Tea a little bit later during the morning)

Around 12 noon: A meal size salad with greens, cherry tomatoes, a can of sardines, olives, greens powder sprinkled on, dressed with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Around 4:30 pm. 4 strips of bacon, roasted seaweed snacks, nut butter (peanut free), handfuls of mixed nuts (no peanuts).

Beverages: Water, Coffee, Ginger Tea, Green Tea

Tuesday:

Morning: Water, Coffee, Green Tea (Coffee upon wake up, Tea a little bit later during the morning)

Around 12 noon: Spicy tomato and pepper soup, with a side bowl of sauerkraut, avocado, olives, green powder, and a fried egg, seaweed snack, 3 handfuls of mixed nuts (peanut free)

Beverages: Water, Coffee, Ginger Tea, Green Tea

Wednesday:

Morning: Water, Coffee, Green Tea (Coffee upon wake up, Tea a little bit later during the morning)

Around 11 am: Spicy tomato and cauliflower soup with fried egg on top, avocado bowl with pickles, garlic, olives, bacon, green powder, and a fried egg on top, seaweed snack.

Around 4:30 pm: Compliant Rebel Keto drink (Vanilla Almond), a few handfuls of roasted pumpkin seeds with sea salt.

Beverages: Water, Coffee, Green Tea

Thursday:

Morning: Water, Coffee, Green Tea (Coffee upon wake up, Tea a little bit later during the morning)

Around 1 pm: 3 egg omelet with avocado, chopped garlic, chopped onion, green powder (in retrospect, a 2 egg omelet is probably good enough for next time), bowl of spicy tomato and cauliflower soup, seaweed snack.

Beverages: Water, Coffee, Green Tea, seltzer.

Friday:

Morning: Water, Coffee, seltzer, green tea.

Around 1 pm: Guacamole with bacon, onion, garlic, salt and pepper, lime juice; spicy tomato and cauliflower soup with a fried egg and extra onions; sauerkraut with green powder.

Around 5 pm: 3 strips of bacon, 3 handfuls of mixed nuts, 3 handfuls of pumpkin seeds, 2 spoons of nut butter.

Beverages: Water, Coffee, Green Tea, seltzer.

Saturday:

Morning: Coffee, Seltzer.

Around 12 noon: Spicy tomatoe and cauliflour soup with green powder, seaweed snack, two spoons of nut butter.

Around 5 pm: Lemon Garlic Chicken, Coleslaw with cabbage, carrot, red onion, scallion, garlic, bacon, avocado mayo, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper.

Favorite Meal of the Week:

Avocado Bowl with chopped garlic, chopped pickles, green powder, olives, avocado, bacon, topped with a fried egg. Delicious!

Training This Week

My training routine has been fairly consistent for a few weeks leading up to the Whole 30. Training goals include adding more volume to my deadlift workouts, increasing core strength, and adding in more Kettlebells to my routine. Training is not related to the Whole 30, but I am keeping a log just to stay accountable during the time frame.

Monday:

Morning walk, around 40 minutes, morning stretching and foam rolling.

Tuesday:

Deadlifts: work sets were 205 lbs, 5 sets of 5 reps; Ab roll wheel 6 sets of 8-10; hangs off the pull up bar, foam roll and stretching.

Wednesday:

Pushups: 5 sets, 10, 10, 12, 12, 8; Pullups: 5 sets, 1, 4, 4, 4, 4; Total Gym row/curl combo: 5 sets, 10, 12, 10, 10, 10 (each exercise); Double Kettlebell push press: 5 sets, 35 lbs 10, 53 lbs 3, 3, 35 lbs 10, 8

Thursday:

Walk about 40 minutes, stretch and foam roll.

Friday:

Morning stretch and roll, morning 4.5 mile run (with about 3 walk breaks), around an hour total time for run.

Saturday:

Mowed the lawn (push mower), around 2.5 miles, hour total time.

My Compliance Grade for the Week

Overall, I give myself a solid 99% compliance grade for the week. Most areas of elimination were complete 100% (Grains, added Sugar/artificial sweeteners, Legumes, Dairy, Alcohol, Soy, MSG); my one area of slip up was non-compliant bacon. Bacon must be nitrate free to be compliant on whole 30. I have since purchased some compliant bacon, so any future posts that read “bacon” please assume it is compliant (unless I confess otherwise). Overall, I am very pleased with my first week and sticking to the program!

Additionally, I did not take any body weight or measurements, and I did not count calories or macro-nutrient ratios (and will continue to not do so during the program).

Looking Ahead to Next Week!

Looking forward to trying new foods, and noticing any continued or additional benefits! As a reflection on training, I was not really doing full throttle this week. I would like to add a little bit more intensity and volume during more whole 30, and maybe add in some different exercises.

Thanks for following along with me, I’ll be checking in next Saturday for week 2!