Off-Roading

I may be more proud of today than of any day on my two W30s and my W45 :)

In my entire time of dieting (roughly 15+ years), my periods of weight loss have been followed by periods of bingeing, when I let things completely spin out of control. And this isn't just with food - I'm an all-or-nothing kind of person with work, exercise, relationships, and eating. I don't do well with moderation, but I'd love nothing more than some moderation in my life. Well, today I took my first steps toward moderation.

After my morning run, I jumped on the scale and recorded my progress. YES!! Then I ran off to a restorative yoga class with a cup of coffee with cream & sugar in my hand. Normally, this would then lead into a full day of sugar, pizza, junk food, etc... which would then turn into a week or two off plan. Because I enjoy the structure and the way I feel on W30, I'd then go another 30 days, then repeat the cycle all over again.

Instead, I came home after yoga, ate the leftover pork-butternut squash-apple hash in my fridge with some avocado and W30-compliant hot sauce. I little while later, I went off to my shift at the yoga studio, did 50 minutes of heated vinyasa yoga, then came home for lunch - a couple Applegate Farms hot dogs and a green juice (kale, spinach, romaine, cucumber, celery, lemon, apple) from the local vegan juice bar. I lounged around this afternoon, ran to the grocery store to pick up food to make compliant meals, then cooked a steak with coffee-mocha spice rub, sautéed mushrooms (in ghee), and half a sweet potato mashed with sour cream. For dessert, I had some ice cream - not because I'm bingeing but because I'm testing how my body reacts to dairy after 45 days without (and if I'm going to test dairy, I'm going to test it with stuff I'd eat).  Other than the addition of dairy, this was a pretty typical Saturday for me on plan.

And my reward for completing a W45?  A beautiful new lululemon yoga mat. Not a pizza. Not a bag of Swedish fish. Not a bottle of wine. And definitely not an entire pint of Ben & Jerry's (but a serving - yes, it's possible to eat just one!). Instead, I gave myself a promise to continue down this path to health and wellness and yes, maybe even moderation.

Self-Evaluation of Goals

Here are the goals I set on January 1st and my self-evaluation:

Nutrition - I will complete the full 10+-day reintroduction schedule after completing this Whole 30.  [Although I've had a comprehensive blood panel for food sensitivities, I'd like to experiment on myself to see how my body reacts to reintroducing dairy, gluten, non-gluten grains, and legumes, as well as eggs and yeast.]

Tough to evaluate, since I haven't done the reintroduction schedule.  I'm still deliberating about this, and this may be a drawback of going 45 days instead of 30.  I'm a little burned out right now.  We'll see what tomorrow looks like.

Active Recovery - I will practice yoga at least three days a week, including one restorative practice.

Hit this one!  I've been on my mat at least three days a week, and I think I only had one week where I didn't get to a restorative class.  Moving closer to my half-marathon, I see a whole lot more yoga in my future, and with vacation this week, I'm going to finally go to the Deep Stretch class I've been eyeing!

Exercise - I'm thinking bigger than W30 here, more like 2013 goals:

1.  I will complete the Rock n Roll Half-Marathon on March 16th, preferably under 2:30.

2.  I will complete the Polar Bear Triathlon on May 4th in 1:40.

3.  I will complete the Tri for a Cure on July 21st in 1:45 (that is, if I win a spot in the lottery at the end of the month!)

4.  If I remain injury-free through the half-marathon and the Polar Bear tri, I will register for an Olympic triathlon.  I've got my eye on the Lobsterman Tri - 1-mile swim, 25-mile bike, 6.2-mile run - on Sept 14th, and my only goal would be to finish.

I'll get back to you on this ;)  For real, though, even with my nagging calf injury, I'm still on pace to complete the half-marathon on March 16th.  I'm hoping that a few more weeks of treatment with my new chiropractor make the training a little easier.

I'm not setting a SMART goal for sleep, but.... The Whole 9 encourages an absolutely dark sleeping space, which I tried during my September W30.  OMG!!  Who knew how much light my alarm clock gives off?!?!  I'm continuing to keep things as dark as possible and am trying to somehow keep ambient light from my living room out of my bedroom.

In addition to turning off the alarm clock light, I've added black-out shades in my bedroom and started pulling the bathroom door closed at night to cut down on ambient light.  The only other source of light comes in from my living room windows through the bedroom doorway, where there is no actual door, so I open my closet door to cut out as much light as possible.  

And??  I have been sleeping like I'm dead.  I pass out on my couch, sleep solidly at night and bound out of bed in the morning ready to attack the day.  Honest to God!  Except for the morning after bowling night.... even without drinking, I want to stay in bed until 8am.  

In addition, my skin is clear, my nails look awesome, and my immune system is firing on all cylinders.  I got a little bit of a cold during the blizzard.  It disappeared without me ever getting a sinus infection, bronchitis or even a headache.  I was sniffly for two days, then it disappeared.  I also woke up yesterday with a cold sore :(  I immediately doused it in the miracle cold sore cream I picked up in Argentina - great story there! - and it would normally be a disgusting eye sore and incredibly painful, causing me to want to hibernate for the next 5-7 days.  Nope!

And last but not least, here are the numbers:

I lost 12.6 pounds (possibly more - going to check weight again when I'm not retaining water) and a mind-blowing 5.5% body fat!!  This has me down 37 pounds since June - the lightest and leanest I've been in at least 8 years.  So happy :)

Day 45 - The End of Days

It's here!  It's here!  Some highlights of Day 45:

• Kicked off the am with a shift at the yoga studio.  Namaste.
• Seriously tested my Lenten resolution to quit complaining at a before-school meeting.  Worked on changing my attitude instead - easier said than done.
• Made it through the last day of school before February vacation without screaming at anyone or threatening any bodily harm.   
• Had a student stick a one-pound bag of Swedish fish (probably my favorite candy ever) in my face and offer me some.  I scoffed at those fish.
• Bowled for two hours.  I'm a degenerate bowler, apparently.
• Had an 8-year-old give me finger pistols at the bowling alley.  Hilarious!
• Feasted on lobster for dinner to celebrate the end of my Whole45

Breakfast - Pork, Butternut Squash & Apple Hash, Pomelo
Lunch - Sirloin w Fig-Pistachio Butter, Mashed Golden Cauliflower
Dinner - Lobster w Ghee, Garden Salad

100 Ingredient Challenge

At the beginning of my Whole 30, I posted the following:

Toward the end of my first W30, someone posted "Oh my God, what DO you eat?" on the W30 forum:

http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/3506-oh-my-god-what-do-you-eat/page__fromsearch__1

Which then inspired me to keep track of the different ingredients I was using, which in turn inspired me to try new things.  Pretty cool!  I used 112 different ingredients during my Oct/Nov W30, and I've got a running of a total of 131 ingredients that I've used so far.  I'll definitely continue doing this for W30#3!

I ended up with 150 different ingredients in my Whole 45 - more than my previous two W30s combined.  I'm most excited with the 60 different vegetables that I worked into my diet this time around.   And this gives me a grand total of 207 different ingredients since I started working with Whole 9.

You can check out my lists here:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3SEPKsx-RXbaElORGV1WEF2MXM/edit
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3SEPKsx-RXbdnZEaTBISm9LbUk/edit
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3SEPKsx-RXbT1JvV2p2ZHlDSkU/edit

Day 44 Log

Day 44 :)

I kicked off my day with 3.1 miles in balmy 40 degree weather - definitely did not need my UnderArmour this morning.  My calf is still a little wonky so I'm babying the hills, but my time was pretty good (about 30 seconds off my recent best 5K time).

I was showered with love at school today <3 This includes a chocolate rose which hasn't tempted me once (but I might save for the weekend) and the greatest Valentine's Day card I've ever received.  High school kids are hilarious, and this is the major reason why I love my job!

I finished off the day with a double-red donation at the Red Cross for SheJAMS, then ran home to make this Sirloin w Fig-Pistachio Butter (with a few modifications) - http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2013/01/27/sous-vide-moroccan-sirloin-w-fig-pistachio-butter/
I don't sous-vide, so I pan-seared the steak, then finished it in the oven.  And I passed on the Moroccan spice and Sweet Potato Home-Fries, but kept the butter.  OMG!  Heaven.

Breakfast - Pork, Butternut Squash & Apple Hash w Hot Sauce
Lunch - Butternut Squash Lasagna, Garden Salad, Strawberries
Dinner - Sirloin w Fig-Pistachio Butter, Mashed Golden Cauliflower

Day 43 Log

Run didn't happen this morning - my wagon was dragging from last night, so I slept in.  Tomorrow morning I'll be ready to rock a 3-mile run!  And the early morning runs are getting a little easier as I get a little more sunrise each morning :)

After school, I hit the bowling alley for some practice - most consistent yet.  Why can't I do that on league night?!?   I had to head home to prep for this week's caveman lunch:  http://www.health-bent.com/beef/paleo-butternut-squash-lasagna The fellas will be psyched, for sure!

I'm scheduled to do a double-red donation for a blood drive tomorrow.  I completely prefer giving two pints since they replace your fluids at the same time.  But, you need to have higher-than-normal iron levels, so I usually load up on clams, oysters, and leafy greens.  I haven't done anything different this week - kind of interested to see how my iron is.

Breakfast - Italian Sausage w Tomato Sauce, Spinach Salad w Blackberries
Lunch - Smoked Paprika Chicken Thigh, Roasted Kabocha Squash, Blood Oranges
Dinner - Butternut Squash Lasagna, Spinach Salad w Figs & Avocado

Day 42 Log

Day 42 :) I'm dreaming about a cup of coffee w cream & sugar on Saturday....

I went to see Casey today and am optimistic that she's going to be able to work things out with my legs.  Apparently my hips/pelvis are all out of sorts, and I feel like we got a lot accomplished in an hour.  She okayed running, so I'll give it another go tomorrow.  Fingers crossed!!

We also had an amazing night of bowling!! Can't wait for next Tuesday night & finally being able to tip a few back with my team - woohoo!

Breakfast - Italian Sausage w Tomato Sauce, Spinach Salad w Blackberries
Lunch - Smoked Paprika Chicken Thighs, Roasted Kabocha Squash, Green Beans
Snack - Apple w Pecan Butter
Dinner - Roast Pork, Oven Roasted Parsnips

Day 41 Log

Day 41 :)

After almost a week off, I got in 3 miles this morning.  I could feel the difference the new shoes made almost immediately - and I realized how completely destroyed my old shoes were!  The hip feels better, and the blister is now a callus, but my soleus/Achilles is still really tight.  I walked every hill just to be safe - will hit Heidi's class at 6am tomorrow, then see the new chiropractor.  Hopefully Casey will work some miracles on me!!

Breakfast - Italian Sausage w Tomato Sauce, Spinach Salad w Blackberries
Lunch - Spaghetti Squash w Meatballs & Pasta Sauce, Blood Oranges
Dinner - Smoked Paprika Chicken Thighs, Roasted Kabocha Squash, Green Beans

BTW - Make the Kabocha Squash right away! Sooooo good!! And if you like spicy, the chicken thighs were dynamite, too. Recipes here:

http://www.primal-palate.com/2011/03/smoked-paprika-chicken-thighs.html?m=1
http://nomnompaleo.com/post/41440300414/whole30-day-25-roasted-kabocha-squash

Day 40 Log

Wow!  Day 40 :)

You know I've been cooped up for the weekend when I decide to clean my oven.  To be completely and totally honest, this is the first time I've ever cleaned an oven.  Embarrassing when you consider how much I use it, isn't it?  Last weekend on Super Bowl Sunday, I roasted some chicken wings in said oven.  Did I mention I also have no windows or vent in my kitchen?  It got so smoky in my condo that my purse and jacket smelled like smoke & wings into Wednesday.  So when things got a little smoky again last night with the pork roast, I decided to tackle the oven with this:  http://wandernest.wordpress.com/2011/02/03/clean-simple-homemade-oven-cleaner/.  I couldn't get it completely spotless, but it's a whole hell of a lot cleaner than it ever has been - fingers crossed that the oven works tomorrow ;)

Breakfast - Breakfast Sausage, Roasted Fennel, Salad w Grapefruit, Nectarine
Lunch - Spaghetti Squash w Meatballs & Pasta Sauce, Blood Oranges
Snack - Apple w Pecan Butter
Dinner - Oven-Roasted Pork Chop, Green Salad w Dates & Prosciutto, Balsamic Vinaigrette

Day 39 Log

Holy Snow!!  Almost 3 feet in Portland - more than I can remember since I was a little kid.  The bank in front of my car is up to my shoulders and at least 5 feet deep. And yes, I mean "is" - because the world's worst property management company hasn't plowed or shoveled yet. At 630pm. 6 hours after the snow stopped. One of my neighbors shoveled the walkway for all of us, thank God!

Despite my plowing frustrations, I put together a kick-ass dinner! Slow-Roasted Crispy Pork Shoulder (http://www.fromaway.com/cooking/super-crispy-skinned-slow-roasted-pork-shoulder) was in the oven all day. My mom makes the best pork roast, where she roasts potatoes in the pork drippings - heaven! So I subbed parsnips for the potatoes, and they were dynamite. Super meal for a cold, epically snowy day!

Breakfast - 2 AF Hot Dogs, Prosciutto, Oven-Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Salad Greens w Grapefruit & Avocado
Lunch - Spaghetti Squash w Meatballs & Pasta Sauce, Blood Orange
Dinner - Slow-Roasted Crispy Pork Shoulder, Avocado Lime Sauce, Roasted Parsnips, Green Beans

Day 38 Log

One more week!!!!!!

I couldn't be more excited for a mellow weekend spent inside avoiding the blizzard. I SA'd the 6am class at Greener Postures this morning so I've gotten in a good workout & stretch. Fridge is filled w supplies for the next few days, Netflix videos are on hand, and I have several books on the coffee table. Sweet!!

I'm testing eggs today. They're technically W30 approved, but my comprehensive food panel showed a serious egg sensitivity. So I gave them a shot today and will see how I feel over the next two days.

Breakfast - Eggs w Avocado, 1/2 Pork Kielbasa, Oven-Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Blackberries
Lunch - AF Kielbasa w Apples & Onions, Creamsicle Smoothie (banana, orange, almond milk)
Dinner - Spaghetti Squash w Meatballs & Pasta Sauce, Broiled Eggplant, Blood Orange

Day 37 Log

I'm really trying to listen to my body and not my OCD-Type A tendencies, and I'm trying to follow the Whole 9 advice that rest comes before workouts.  I am exhausted and I'm fighting off a cold, so I slept in again this morning.  My soleus/Achilles tendon is still really tight, and my blister is drained and dressed.  New running shoes should be here on Friday, so I don't think I'm running again until Sunday. And I will keep reminding myself that a few days off is not going to derail my training.  Also in keeping with today's theme, I felt like I should go to senior night for our boys & girls basketball teams tonight - ended up staying in instead.

Breakfast - AF Pork Kielbasa w Apples & Onions, Oven-Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Lunch - Lamb Curry w Raisins & Greens, Orange
Dinner - Spaghetti Squash w Meatballs & Pasta Sauce, Blood Orange

Day 36 Log

Yesterday was a long-ass day!  5 mile run in the am, full day of school, softball meeting in the afternoon, then bowling league.  I got home around 830pm and passed out.  Needless to say, I slept in this morning.

Any thoughts that I haven't lost weight/size on this W30 have evaporated.  I put on a pair of pants that I last wore at Christmas and was amazed at how loose they are in the waist.  I've also started wavering about going the full 45, mostly because I'm starting to feel like this is truly a lifestyle change:

• I'm not thinking about planning meals - it's an automatic part of my weekend routine
• I'm not thinking about writing down my meals
• It's easier and easier to pass on non-compliant food

The biggest reason why I'd get off plan is that I'd really like to have an adult beverage while I'm out socializing, but we'll see.....

I'm taking some steps to fix my broken body today.  The blister on my left arch is now epic, so I raided the training room today for better fixes.  I went to the chiropractor during my free period for an adjustment and ordered a new pair of the exact same running shoes I've been training in.  (The Kinvaras are awesome, but will need to wait until post-race to be broken in)  I had a leg massage this afternoon, then hit a restorative yoga class.  And I finally made an appointment to see a chiropractor who specializes in runner/athlete issues.  I can't get in until Monday, but I'm super psyched!

Breakfast - AF Kielbasa w Apples & Onions, Oven-Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Lunch - Lamb Curry w Raisins, Greens and Purple Cauliflower Rice, Mango
Snack - Apple w Pecan Butter
Dinner - AF Hot Dogs, Mixed Green Salad w Grapefruit & Avocado

Day 34 & 35 Log

Oops!  Forgot to post yesterday, but I'm still on track :)

I slept in Monday after the Super Bowl and took a day off from workouts.  Since I did very little prep on Sunday, I spent the afternoon cooking and cleaning house.

I put in 5 miles this morning with a few challenges - came close to being attacked by a dog (Honestly!  I don't think I've ever yelled so loudly in my life, but it stopped the dog in its tracks.  Then I saw the owner standing on his/her lawn doing nothing.  Awesome.), got tightness in my calf for the first time in months, and took off my windbreaker after my run to find frost on my fleece layer.  I guess it was cold out ;)

For real, though, I've got to start addressing the left-side issues that are popping up - left hip bursa, huge blister on my left arch, and now left soleus tightness.  I rolled out my legs after my run, applied a new blister bandage to my foot and booked a leg massage for tomorrow.  I'm also going to hit a restorative class in the pm.  I'm so close to the race!!

Day 34 Log

Breakfast - 2 AF Hot Dogs, Salad w Fresh Figs
Lunch - Salad w Beets & Grilled Chicken
Dinner - Pan-Roasted Pork Chop, Oven-Roasted Sweet Potatoes w Cumin & Cinnamon, Broiled Eggplant

Day 35 Log

Breakfast - AF Kielbasa w Apples & Onions, Oven-Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Lunch -Pan-Roasted Pork Chop, Broiled Eggplant, Salad w Fresh Figs
Dinner - Garden Salad w Grilled Steak, Apple w Pecan Butter

Day 33 Log

Slept in until 730 this morning, then had a busy Sunday:

Logged 4.5 miles on the Foreside, marinated wings for the Super Bowl, cheered for Caity (who was kicking tail at the Mid-Winter 10-Mile Classic!), finished watching Dark Knight Rises, cleaned house, shopped for groceries for the week, broiled wings, and finally Super Bowl partied

Pre-Run - Pecan Butter
Breakfast - Spicy Vietnamese Beef Stew
Lunch - Mighty Green Smoothie (kale, banana, spinach, spirulina, blueberries, strawberries), AF Hot Dogs w Mustard
Dinner - Chili Lime Wings (http://nomnompaleo.com/post/41698330146/whole30-day-28-chile-lime-chicken-wings), Smoked Brisket, Cocoa-Toasted Cauliflower (http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2011/01/11/cocoa-toasted-cauliflower/), Green Salad w Avocado & Green Apple, Fruit Salad

Day 32 Log

Phew!  I made it through yesterday.  Barely....  Woke up ravenous this morning, probably because I ate a tiny burger and even tinier servings of spinach and beets for dinner at 9 o'clock last night.

I hit restorative yoga this morning - my hips thank you, Jen! - then did an hour of heated vinyasa.  Nice relaxing afternoon and much easier day, all the way around.

Breakfast - Blueberry Breakfast Sausage, Broccoli Rabe w Garlic & Raisins, Jicama Home Fries
Lunch - Sausage-Eggplant Strata, Hubbard Squash
Dinner - Spicy Vietnamese Beef Stew, Hubbard Squash

Day 31 Log

Little piece of me wishes my coffee had some cream and sugar in it this morning.  And that I got to sip cocktails with Jen, Caiti and Michelle tonight.  And that I'd get to eat and drink whatever I want on Sunday.  But I keep reminding myself that if I get through this weekend, it should be smooth sailing until Day 45!

I went out in the cold for 4.5 miles this morning.  Best part about the run was the wind that was at my back the last mile - I flew to the finish!  I've iced my hip twice this morning, took some ibuprofen before my run, and will probably ice at lunch, too.  I'm about a month ahead of my training schedule, so a week or two of easier runs might be in the forecast.

Pre-Run - Pecan Butter
Breakfast - Sausage-Eggplant Strata, Broccoli Rabe w Garlic & Raisins
Lunch - Spicy Vietnamese Beef Stew
Dinner - Burger w Beets & Spinach