Since it's been a few days and a lot has happened (there is so much learning, new experiences, and reflecting with the Whole30 I'm a little bit blown away!) I'm going to stick with a bullet point list of key thoughts from days 10-13.
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First of all, holy cow, I can't believe it's day 10 already (I always write "in the rears" so I'm writing the day(s) after...) and I'm sure happy I'm 1/3 of the way there. I'd like to reflect just a little bit on expectations vs. reality. Because I Dinner was over at my BFF's place tonight! We talked beforehand about the Whole30, answered some questions about how it was different than Paleo (from what I know of Paleo!), and obligingly went to the store to load up on veggies and turkey! I thought it worked well that he made the veggies with simple spicing/dressings that were 100% to be compliant, then I was responsible for spicing the meat. The base ingredients of Whole30 are pretty straight forward and simple, but it's the flavoring that gets tricky. So I would definitely recommend this method if you're going to tag-team cooking with a friend :)
Breakfast - 1 "mom-lette" - Small apple with almond butter - Nectar of life (coffee) Lunch - Semi-tropical spinach/coconut/mango smoothie (I know this isn't condoned on the Whole30, but I have to be realistic here and not every time will my life perfectly fall in line while on this plan... The important thing is I don't lose steam or let it get me down I wasn't perfect for one meal. I condone my decision! I used only compliant ingredients and I just didn't have time to make my salad during the lunch rush-home routine. It's not going to a common occurrence and I don't feel guilty!): spinach, almond milk, coconut, ginger, frozen banana, frozen mango, frozen strawberry, raw cashews Dinner - Sauteed ground turkey with avocado/salsa verde sauce - Roasted broccoli with garlic - Cabbage and celery salad with dijon/vinegar/EVOO dressing What a good weekend! It went by all too quickly though, of course.
M and I stumbled onto the conversation I was pretty sure would happen from the beginning... How is this going to impact him? I'll keep this brief, but the bottom line is it's frustrating for him. He won't 'deprive' himself and I get that, but I'm not asking him to join me on this. He'll eat what I make, but he won't cut anything out either. He prefaced a question last night with this, "I'm nervous to say this, because I don't know how you'll feel and I don't want you to be angry..." He had a craving for ice cream and asked if I'd be okay with him running to the mart to get some. Which I thought was sweet (no pun intended)! He was being considerate and respectful in my eyes- but to him it was frustrating he had to ask at all. That having me do this made him feel awkward, or limited, or like he can't have certain things around me. We also had a discussion about the division of cooking (because I've seriously been doing a metric sh*t ton with all the meal prep and cooking breakfast rather than just oats in a bowl...), mainly that he's willing to help, but doesn't know what to make and won't adhere to my rules if he's making the meal because he won't be the one messing up what I'm doing. Anyway- here are a few thoughts on doing the Whole30 without your SO. Be okay with their response If they get frustrated, accept it. If they are confused or just don't get it, accept it. If they feel guilty some nights eating something in front of you, accept it. Their response is their deal (so long as it's within reason, of course. If they make fun of you or don't respect your decision, that's another discussion altogether). So long as they are not reacting to your direct actions in relation to them - e.g., if you're forcing them to join or you're actively spiteful/bitter towards them when they're eating sweets in front of you, those are no-no's - let them feel the way they feel. I thinking this part is very important. Just like you are going to feel jealous they're drinking a beer while you're out, or you get severe carb-deprivation hanger, or feel weak on day 14 that you're not even half way and who are you to think you were strong enough to do this... Your feelings are yours and they are valid. So are theirs. Understand that your decision will impact your partner, I don't see a way around it, but I do see a way through it. It's not forever and it's a great communication venue. And for anyone else out there plagued Have a conversation about the Whole30 before you start because it could cause some serious tensions. You have to have a clear understanding about logistics including e.g. a) who will be doing the cooking b) how much c) how you feel about them eating/drinking in front of you. I'd also recommend having a discussion about why you're doing the Whole30. It will give them insight into your motivations and help them think about why you're doing this. For example... imagine your SO buys a beer while you're out and you don't. SO rolls their eyes internally and thinks, "Great, now I feel guilty she can't have a beer and here I am, 'flaunting' it in front of her... I'm not trying to flaunt it! I just want a beer, is that so wrong? Why is that so wrong?" Instead, if you explain your reasons, that same inner dialogue could change to something like this: "Ok she's not getting a beer because she wants to break a habit of mindlessly getting drinks when we go out. She's strengthening her willpower and completing a personal challenge." It changes the focus from not having a beer to personal gains and motivations. So last night was so- damn- hard. Beer is one of my favorite things and I typically use it and look to it when I'm getting stressed out and overwhelmed. When my mind takes off and I get very critical of myself it's one of the things I turn to that helps me relax, chill out, slow things down a bit, and just calm down. Well.... I had an anxiety-ridden day yesterday (thanks, work and anxiety-depression brain for the one-two combo!) and then it was trivia night. A few thoughts...
It is WAY easier to avoid bars/pizza joints/etc. when you're on the Whole30. You're not tempted and you aren't sitting around looking at all the people (or your own S.O.) having a nice time enjoying their lovely, beautiful, tasty autumn pumpkin beer that just came out for fall season... Sigh. But that being said, I wouldn't recommend missing traditions or even fully avoiding doing the things you enjoyed before the Whole30. Go out to a bar once or twice. I haven't been to a restaurant yet, but I won't be avoiding them for the sake of ease or fear for the next 27 days (not that I'm counting...!). Even though I was only on day 2 while going to the bar, I still feel like I learned something about my tendencies and just how strong my instincts/habits/drive is to grab a beer at the end of the day. It was a challenge, but one that made me look inward (of course, only after realizing how much I was looking outward at other people drinking and eating chicken fingers and fries). So in conclusion (for now), I wouldn't recommend seeking out places that will tempt you and be mentally/emotionally difficult, but don't avoid them altogether. See what you learn. I'm curious to see how next Thursday goes... Will it be easier? More difficult a full week in? I think this is going to have a more profound mental/emotional effect on me than I realized at first.... Breakfast - 2 "mom-elettes" (sausage, spinach, pepper, onion) Lunch - Spinach and chicken salad with guac and plantain chips Dinner - Sauteed pork tenderloin with mustard sauce, sauteed apples and cabbage on the side (with cinnamon on the apples, and those were in coconut oil, yum!) Technically, the title is in reference to my main lesson learned yesterday... Day 1 of the Whole30 and I had to go to the grocery store after work to get the last few things I couldn't stomach paying for at Whole Foods the other day (but I swear it was worth it because the "naked" rotisserie chicken is a life saver for lunches already!). So there I was, stocking up on lemons, celery, veggies, more veggies, apples galore, a couple more veggies, and lots of meat (yay sale section!) and I could hear the French bread calling my name. Oh and the yogurt! My favorite dear plain non-fat Greek yogurt... It cried out, "Why have you forsaken me?! But I'm healthy remember?" It was a little rough.
So today I brought monkey trail mix with me to store in my desk drawer at work to avoid such 4-5pm hangry now sugar-free she-beast episodes. Lesson learned. Breakfast:
Snack(s):
Lunch:
Dinner:
Breakfast: ~1/2c sweet potato sauteed in olive oil, over easy egg, avocado, tomatoes, s/p
Snack: Apple and almond butter Lunch: Spinach, chicken, avocado, strawberry, almond salad with balsamic vinegar/olive oil/lemon dressing Dinner: Sloppy Joe potatoes with ranch Why I'm willing to do this... First, I've had on my "Day Zero 101 List" for two iterations of Day Zero 101 lists that I want to complete a dietary cleansing challenge. I want to push myself and help strengthen my willpower muscle. This is honestly the biggest draw for me, personally. I'm at a point in my life where I have to be highly self-motivated in order to reach my professional goals and I know that opportunities are going to happen only if I create them. I freely admit, I'm not the best at this. I have bursts of motivation and dedication but it's hard for me to progress at a sustainable pace. Let's just say I'm not a proverbial distance runner... From how my education was structured (go to class, take a break, practice, class, then fit in homework/thesis/etc. on my own time- not 9-5...) to my sport (I'm a volleyball player, so we operate in short intense bursts of all-out intensity) I work most comfortably in a burn-recover cycle. Unfortunately that is not going to be sustainable throughout my career. So the biggest reason for me doing this Whole30 is to exercise my will power, and show myself that I can sustain through a semi-long term challenge- it will give me confidence and I bet I'll even learn some skills/tips/techniques I can apply to other areas of my life. Second, I want more energy throughout the day and particularly when I get home from work. Like my partern said, I want to be good at work and great at home. But I struggle being great at home when after a long day of work I feel like most of my good energy has been sapped and I need to recover... Finally, I want to lose weight, reset my sugar tolerance, and feel sexy in my own skin again! Plain and simple. The last 6-8 months have been a whirlwind with a new job, new town, Matt moving in... my exercise and diet have been on a roller coaster ride. Some days are great and others are a sugar slug bomb. This will give me the opportunity to level out my physical well-being. (Not to mention, I'm curious to see how my body reacts to no alcohol for 30 days... No clue the last time I did that! And I know some of the extra pounds are "liquid pounds..."). Wish me luck! |
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