Get your shit together

The Whole30 was like a fad diet for me. I ate well before I started, went hardcore for 30 days, and then fell into a bottomless pit of gross eating habits.

It makes me feel sick, but it's like I'm defying authority or something - a weird thrill? To hurt myself?
Gawd, what's wrong with me?

I sit here, typing this, as my gut churns and bubbles from the crap I ate at work today.

So I need to get my shit together. I need to do the Whole Ariane. Meaning, my whole body will feel good if I eat whole, good food. Makes sense right? Not complicated, no rules to abide by. Just whole food. Plain and simple.

I am really good at following a plan. I like the challenge, but I also like to break the rules.
Hence the failure of Whole30.
I did awesome, and then snap, terrible - breaking the rules is fun, right?

So I'm cooking.
I'm having a glass of wine if I want to. Because if I have a few drinks at a birthday party, I'll have fun, be happy, and won't want to break the rules! Magic.

This is the plan. It's a good plan.

Starting now, I'm Whole ArianeTM.

Whole 30 Results & Conclusions

Well, this is it. I completed my first Whole30.

I can't say that I feel all that much different. I think the success of this program banks on incredible transformations, but those are experienced by people who go from McDonald's to this -cold turkey.

That was not my case. I've been Paleo for approximately 18 months, at some times more lax than others, but it wasn't a big change to strictly live by these few rules:

Eat real food;
Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial;
Do not consume alcohol;
Do not eat grains;
Do not eat legumes;
Do not eat dairy;
Do not eat white potatoes.

In addition, no Paleo-ifying dessert or junk food choices.

The last point is the only one that I broke a few times. I don't really think that my apple muffin recipe should be considered "junk food", but for extremists, maybe it is.

I will get my calliper measurements done this week and compare them to my last test. The numbers don't lie, right?

Before & After pictures up soon. I can't really see a difference; maybe the gut has shrunk a bit? I'm still wearing the same clothes in any case.



Before Whole 30 - February 6, 2012

After Whole 30 - March 6, 2012

My main goal was to work my way down to the 63kg category, and in that respect, Whole30 was an epic fail. I stayed at pretty much the same weight.

Sigh.

Whole 30 Day 30

March 5 - Day 30:
I guess it's my last day?
It makes me feel old when I think gosh, time sure does fly by.

Breakfast: eggs and decaf coffee
Lunch: butter chicken with rainbow chard
Supper: more butter chicken and... kale? (and rainbow chard; steamed)

The last supper.

Thirty days are done.

Whole 30 Day 29

March 4 - Day 29:
Brunch with Grandma, snacks at work (yes, that's overtime on a Sunday) and leftovers for supper. Lady gang supper; Blair is an amazing cook and she whipped up some delicious soup and salad for us all to enjoy.

Brunch: scrambled eggs with salad
Snacks: nuts, clementines, coconut water
Supper: kabocha squash, ginger and apple soup and garden salad with spinach, avocado, cucumber, tomatoes and walnuts.

1 day until March 5.

Whole 30 Day 28

March 3 - Day 28:
Big birthday celebration day. Birthday brunch, birthday supper, birthday ping-pong party.

Brunch: frittata du jour from Table 10; with ham & broccolini, side salad and fresh fruit
Supper: steak with seasonal grilled vegetables (asparagus) from La Bodega
Party snacks: apple muffins and bubbly water with lime

Mock Oly meet was today. Snatch was terrible; hit 107lbs and then failed at 112lbs repeatedly. C&J was significantly better. I didn't squat (shame on me) but got 130lbs, 135lbs and 140lbs, which is a PR.
2 days until March 5.

Whole 30 Day 27

March 2 - Day 27:
I've been super busy at work; hence the 3-day late blog update.
And when I get busy, I don't eat. It's not a good habit, but it's hard to break. I eat breakfast at home and I pack a lunch, but I get so caught up in work that I go right through my lunch break without noticing.
It makes me really antsy and probably very disagreeable to work with.

Breakfast: eggs and some tasty apple muffins
Lunch: -
Supper: butter chicken that was meant for lunch.

Last Oly session before mock meet.
3 days until March 5.

Whole 30 Day 26

March 1 - Day 26:
I'm tired! I blame it on the dried fruit I at yesterday; it tore through my gut all last night - quite unpleasant.

I made a butter chicken recipe yesterday. A stated previously, I can't seem to follow instruction when cooking. I decided to make my own spice mixture instead of being "lazy" and using a pre-mixed, properly balanced and ground garam masala. Have you ever tried to grind 10 different spices in a motar pestle and have it come out fine? Ya, it's impossible. I thought of using cheese cloth in the slow-cooker, but I forgot to buy some, so... it's filled with spice chunks. Which is kinda gross.
I picked out bits of chicken for my lunch today, but I think I'll have to strain the rest of the sauce if I want to actually enjoy this recipe.

Breakfast: fried eggs with apple slices, decaf coffee
Lunch: butter chicken with steamed broccoli, cauliflower & rainbow chard
Supper: strained butter chicken

I didn't lift yesterday and I'm already feeling rusty! I'll try getting a snatch session in at lunch and some squats right before coaching tonight. We have a mock Oly meet scheduled for this weekend and I don't want to embarass myself! I've discovered that it takes me a few sessions of snatch and C&J to get "warmed up". Friday is ususally terrible, Saturday is okay, and I hit my stride on Sunday.
Can't wait until the new Flux space opens and I can start going to the mid-week Oly class again.

4 days until March 5.

Whole 30 Day 25

February 29 - Day 25:
Coaching at 6am means getting up before 5am, making coffee, cooking breakfast, feeding cat, finding clothes, and being chipper before my alarm clock normally rings. Phew, quite the morning. All that, followed by a dentist appointment and a visit to the chiro.

I bought all the spices for the butter chicken recipe - trying that tonight!
I also went a bit crazy with the fancy nuts and dried fruit at Bulk Barn. It's hard to last til lunch when you had breakfast at 5:15am!
Update: too many dried fruits in my belly make it hurt.

Breakfast: eggs, decaf coffee
Lunch: the very last bit of shredded pork, butternut squash, blanched spinach & rainbow chard
Supper: stovetop version of the butter chicken that's in the slow cooker; with broccoli, rainbow chard & cauliflower

lunch

supper

5 days until March 5.

Whole 30 Day 24

February 28 - Day 24:
Dropping the ball on the constant updates here - sorry!

Breakfast: blueberry and coconut milk shake, eggs, decaf coffee
Lunch: mmmh pulled pork, butternut squash, steamed kale
Supper: last bit of pulled pork, squash, blanched spinach & rainbow chard

I'll say it again: best meal combo!

Did some front squats before coaching.

6 days until March 5.

Whole 30 Day 23

February 27 - Day 23:
Sometimes I impress myself with the food I prepare. My latest pork roast makes the best leftover meals! With some squash and greens on the side - mmh!

Breakfast: spoonful of nut butter, eggs and decaf coffee
Lunch: pulled pork, kale, butternut squash puree with ghee
Supper:

The training room is in use today, so I can't squat at lunch, and I have a massage tonight; no workout for me?

7 days until March 5.

Whole 30 Day 22

February 26 - Day 22:

Breakfast: pulled pork, squash with melted ghee, roasted kale
Lunch: same as breaky - soooo good!
Supper: can you guess? This is the best meal combo I've had in a while.

Two Oly sessions at the gym today. The regular 2 hour class in the afternoon: snatch, followed by front squats, and a second session 3 hours later. I only did clean & jerk at night. It was getting pretty late and we were all exhausted.

I got 63kg over my head for the first time, so that we pretty exciting. Now I need to squat when I clean and I'll be able to lift more (right?)

8 days until March 5.

Whole 30 Day 21

February 25 - Day 21:

Breakfast: three eggs
Lunch: jerk chicken skewer and garden salad
Snack: sweet potato fries
Supper: pulled pork, butternut squash & roasted kale - very yummy

Might have to go back for seconds.

Back squats this morning, then I judged the first workout of CrossFit Open 2012: 7 minutes of burpees. Yep, I'm glad that I'm into weightlifting these days.

9 days until March 5.

Whole 30 Day 20

February 24 - Day 20:
Phew, that was a long Friday. This week didn't feel like the short, post-long weekend week that I wanted it to.

Breakfast: eggs with the last of my Cool Springs Ranch bacon :(
Lunch: went to the Mediterranean Bistro. Service was so-so; we were the only patrons in the whole place and it still took 50 mins to get our food from the time we ordered. Quite expensive too. I had a beet, orange & fennel salad with additional chicken.
Supper: mmm roast! Put it in last night, shredded it this morning, simmered the liquid all day, added splash of balsamic vinegar - tasty! And brussel sprout "chips".

Oly class tonight. I'm exhausted, we'll see how it goes.

10 days until March 5.

Whole 30 Day 19

February 23 - Day 19:
I coach the second gym class at work today, so I get home a bit after 6pm. I have nothing else scheduled tonight, so I'm cooking! I don't have any meat thawed... but I'll figure something out.
It might be a "everything I have in the fridge" disaster, but it might just be delicious!

Breakfast: two of the tastiest mini muffins & apple slices with nut butter - and a coffee! I'm trying out this decaf thing.
Lunch: spinach salad & apple slices with nut butter
Supper: last two muffins... kale chips, carrots. Cooking a pork roast

No time for front squats - grr!

11 days until March 5.

Whole 30 Day 18

February 22 - Day 18:
Self-induced, accidental afro day.
Note to self: twirling wet hair before bed and brushing it in the morning leads to a full on white lady 'fro.

Breakfast: bacon & eggs with avocado. And 1 apple muffin (how can I resist?)
Lunch: spinach salad with avocado
Supper: eating at a friend's house we couldn't make up our minds so we tried the new hot pot restaurant.

before

after

It was very good, and catered well to my whole food needs. We shared a dinner for two & seafood dinner (so we could try everything on the menu). They ate the tofu; I almost got through all the meat. There was beef, chicken, prawns, crab, squid, random delicious fish, "special" meatballs, zucchini, bok choy, a variety of mushrooms and a pot of boiling water to cook it in.

Gratuitous muffin shot

Back squats at lunch: did pretty well, got up to 190lbs, which is a first for me. Down sets at 170lbs.

12 days until March 5.
10lbs til a "decent" back squat

Whole 30 Day 17

February 21 - Day 17:
I love me a 4 day week!

Breakfast: bacon and eggs with avocado
Lunch: leftover spinach salad with avocado & improved chicken, coconut milk, leek soup
Supper: (snacky) beef patty with coconut oil mayo, apple muffin, apple with nut butter

Clean & Jerk at lunch: got to 130lbs, down sets at 115lbs. Wore my new belt to break it in a bit.

13 days until March 5.

Whole 30 Day 16

February 20 - Day 16:

Hey! I'm half done!

And I was so bad and lazy today...

Snacks, snack, snacks: apple with macadamia nut butter (x2, oops!), kale chips, beef patty with coconut oil mayo

Supper: leftover salad with avocado

And then I got snacky...

Inspired by these, I made apple cinnamon muffins.

2 1/4 cups almond meal

4 eggs

1 apple finely chopped

1/3 cup apple sauce

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup coconut water

1/2 tsp baking soda

cinnamon (lots)

Pre heat oven to 350.  Finely chop apple. Add all other ingredients and mix by hand.  The batter will not be super thick, but more like a cake batter.  Using a bit more coconut oil, grease a muffin tin.  Fill the tins about 3/4 of the way full.  Bake for 15-17 minutes.  You will know they are done when you can insert a toothpick into the middle of a muffin and it comes out clean.  Serve hot out of the oven with some ghee melted on top.

Uhh, these are a-ma-zing.

14 days until March 5.

Whole 30 Day 15

February 19 - Day 15:
Dinner party tonight; the food was fresh, easy and delicious. I don't think I've ever received so many compliments about my cooking.

My house cleans up pretty.

Breakfast & lunch: bacon and eggs
Supper: Wilted greens, hard-boiled egg, rainbow trout & salad

So much food, the salad didn't fit.

15 days until March 5.

Whole 30 Day 14

February 18 - Day 14:
I'm clearly a better blogger when I'm at work... oops.

16 days until March 5.

Whole 30 Day 13

February 17 - Day 13:
It's finally Friday! This week took forever to go by...

Breakfast: eggs (and now I'm starving)
Lunch: much improved coconut milk, cauliflower, leek & chicken soup
Supper: shredded beef? soup?

Any big plans for the long weekend? Nope, totally forgot about Family Day on Monday.

17days until March 5.